Where the Bluegrass Grows
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11/15/2007 IBMA World of Bluegrass BY THE NUMBERS Recapping some of the key figures for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass held in Nashville in October, here are a few highlights: · Attendance for the week was 22,327, a increase of 5.2% over last year · 2007 ranks as the second highest ever (2005 is 1st with 23,542) Business Conference 2007 · 1897 Unique Attendees (6462 cumulative/4 days) · 83 Exhibitors · 19 “Official” Showcase Artists · 10 Showcasing Songwriters · 296 “After Hours” Artist Showcases · 16 Seminars attended by 1145 · 193 Mentor Sessions on 40 topics · 588 Gig Fair appointments for event producers and artists/agents IBMA Awards Show · Attendance – 2,892 · Radio Broadcast on 277+ Affiliates (live on XM) Fan Fest 2007 · 5,177 Unique Attendees · 12,973 cumulative over 3-day period · 78 Exhibitors · More than 60 Performing Artists, with acts on 3 stages ********* Bourbon and Bluegrass The New York Times travel section had an entertaining story recently, titled “Bourbon and Bluegrass.” Part travelogue, part music-history lesson, the feature encompasses both the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the sixth annual Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Celebration in Rosine. Writer Steven Kurutz explores “the back roads of the state where those two American mainstays trace their deepest roots,” visiting several distilleries and cranking plenty of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, and Stanley Brothers tunes along the way. Check out the entire story at the New York Times website. Also of note: “Queen of Bluegrass” Kitsy Kuykendall suggests that while the article is a good one, it neglects to mention the Charles Medley Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky, the home of other worthwhile places to visit, including the International Bluegrass Music Museum, and the wonderful Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. Special thanks to Trisha Tubbs and Kitsy Kuykendall
