MANJIMUP BLUEGRASS &
OLD TIME MUSICWEEKEND
Presented by THE WARREN ARTS COUNCIL
Friday September 2oth - September 23RD 2024
September 27th -30th 2019
Manjimup Bluegrass & Old Time Music Weekend
Donal Baylor, fiddle
Donal Baylor is Australia's most experienced bluegrass fiddler having played in bluegrass bands since the late 1970s.
He has won the national bluegrass fiddle contest twice and spent four years as Slim Dusty's fiddle player. He played western swing with the Dancehall Racketeers and the Baylor Brothers and bluegrass with Bluegrass Parkway. He has played on numerous recordings in all styles including the theme song for 'Australia All Over'.
He won the 1985 and 1986 National Fiddle Contest in Tamworth and in 1990 was the first Australian to qualify for the US Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, TN. He has studied and played with the greats. With Bluegrass Parkway, Donal has made three tours of the US, playing at major festivals such as Bean Blossom and the Festival of the Bluegrass and is a regular at festivals across Australia.
Donal is a very experienced teacher and teaches all levels privately as well as having a great record of providing workshops and masterclasses at festivals across Australia. He is known for preparing well and with great care and patience, ensures everybody gets excellent value from his sessions.
Adam Gare, mandolin.
Perth mandolin maestro Adam Gare has been playing professionally for many years.
As well as singing a high sweet tenor he also plays fiddle and a few other instruments.
At fourteen Adam played in a band with Ian Simpson called the Busketeers.
He was a member of the Jam Tarts and Nansing Quartet, a family based Perth band that toured nationally and internationally including the Edinburgh Festival.
Adam lived in Melbourne for several years and whilst there recorded and toured with various artists including Paul Kelly - as part of Gerry Hale's Uncle Bill - Melbourne Theatre Company's Grapes of Wrath, Renee Geyer and Tim Rogers of You Am I.
Adam returned to live in Perth at the beginning of 2003 and is a very busy working musician!
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Sam Lemann, guitar
Sam grew up in Perth playing bluegrass tunes with friends Adam Gare and Ian Simpson. At just 17 he got to tour Australia with US Bluegrass Banjo legend Bill Keith.
Sam has lived in Melbourne since 1990 where he is in demand as a freelance guitarist, regularly working with singers Grace Knight and Stephen Cummings.
Over the years Sam has played guitar with Jo Camilleri, Linda and Vika Bull, Ross Wilson, Tom Burlinson, and can always be found at the Tamworth Country music festival or in Melbourne on stage with Hetty Kate, Jane Clifton, Andy Baylor, Lisa Miller, Michelle Nicole, The Moovin' & Groovin' Orchestra and the Bsharp Big Band - to name a few.
Black Mountain Rag on a Carson-Crickmore dreadnaught.
Sam teaches guitar privately and has conducted workshops at many festivals over the years. He’s always keen to share his knowledge of fiddle tunes, country styles, western swing and more . . .
Ian Simpson, banjo
Ian Simpson is known as Australia's most accomplished banjo player, as well as a fine guitar and dobro guitar player.
Ian's banjo instrumental CD releases with ex Flying Emus John Kane have received several awards and is in continual airplay around Australia.
Ian has been performing and recording as a musician all his working life, performing with the likes of Slim Dusty, The Flying Emus, Sensitive New Age Cowpersons, Jane Germain and Wayne Perry to name a few.
Ian has won the Australasian National Banjo Championships 3 times, and has won 7 Golden Guitars at the Country Music Awards at Tamworth. His primary love is for the 5 string banjo, but enjoys picking a few tunes on the acoustic guitar and dobro.
Ian is based in Perth and has a busy schedule recording, producing, performing and teaching. You can catch Ian playing around the traps these days with the Hamilton Hillbillies or The City Slickers.
You can listen to Ian on youtube here:
Ian Simpson and John Kane Duelling Banjos
Sensitive New Age Cowpersons- Foggy Mountain Breakdown