Roger Sprung and I are appearing at the Prospect Mountain Bluegrass Festival in Granville Mass this weekend. After talking to the producer, Bill Flagg, I got the go-ahead to introduce Nautical Filk Music to this bluegrass audience on Friday evening, 17 Aug.

I was invited to this festival because Bill Flagg emembers me, from way back, as a "Clawhammer Banjo" player. He said I was the first person he'd ever seen playing a 5 string banjo./ This was in 1955 when there were only 400 of us in the entire world (according to the Fraternity of 5 string banjoists)

Clawhammer Banjo is pretty much what I'll do in my portion of the festival, but, there are a lot of "Blue Water" songs that go well on the banjo. Such as, "The Mermaid," New Bedford Whaling song" "New York Girls" (Can't you Dance the Polka)

Roger will be there on Friday evening. We used to work together quite frequently. We worked at the "Black Pearl Tavern" in Newport, Rhode Island, for several years, and, we did a lot of Maritime stuff where he played lead with his GREAT bluegrass style banjo playing. We also did Chanteys on stage. This was before I actually became a "sea going chaneyman". However, we've worked together several times in recent years. This is a great oportunity to introduce Maritime Music to a new audience. I'll have to explain things to them before each song, but that's O.K.

There will be an open stage, also, on Friday evening after the regular featured acts, so if any of you Mudcatters are around and want to participate, PLEASE DO.

Granvill is near Springfield, Mass, and the festival is at the Prospect Mountain Campground.

Oh yes, THERE WILL BE FIELD PICKING ALL NIGHT LONG, both Friday and Saturday. IThe festival hours are, 4:00pm to 10.00pm Friday (17th) and 10.00 am to 10.00 pm both Saturday and Sunday.

I think that the audience will accept this "new" (to them) music. After all, there's nothing here to dislike.