The Greencards photo by Aaron Farrington

Chattanooga, TN - Chattanooga’s Waterfront will be the site for one of the city’s newest events, the Three Sisters Music Festival. Held on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6, at Ross’s Landing, this FREE one-of-a-kind event will feature a wide range of music, all with a bluegrass flare.

Friday, Oct. 5
6:00 PM Dismembered Tennesseans
7:30 PM Steep Canyon Rangers
9:00 PM Del McCoury Band

Saturday, Oct. 6
12:00 PM Dismembered Tennesseans
1:30 PM Lone Mountain Band
3:00 PM Lovell Sisters
4:30 PM Norman and Nancy Blake
6:00 PM The Greencards
7:30 PM John Cowan Band
9:00 PM Nashville Bluegrass Band

Food and beverage concessions will be available on site. No outside food or beverages are allowed. For more information, contact Carla Pritchard at 423-265-0771 or cpritchard@thecdp.org.

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L-R Tim Thompson(2nd), Don Alder(1st), and Dan Bliss (3rd)

Don Alder of Vancouver, BC, Canada placed first in this prestigious contest. Alder is a Technical Production Manager for the Rick Hansen Foundation. This is his fifth time attending the Festival. He is also a songwriter and has placed three years in a row in the instrumental portion of the Songwriter’s Showcase here at the Festival. At the age of 13 he was given an electric guitar when he got sick and had to miss school for 6 months. In addition to the guitar he also plays the harp guitar. Don chose the Larrivee LV-10 Guitar by Jean Larrivee Guitars USA Inc of Oxnard, CA. He also takes back to Vancouver, BC the 1st Place Trophy and $3,000.

Second place went to Tim Thompson of Hendersonville, TN. Tim came to Winfield last year for the first time and placed in the top five in this competition. He is a full-time musician in Nashville doing session work and some live shows. In addition to the guitar Tim plays mandolin. He says he has been playing the guitar since he was 12 years old and got his first guitar, an old Sears Airline Guitar with the amp built into the case, from his older brother Denny. When asked if he will come back to Winfield and the Festival? “Of course,” he says “I have to try for first place in this contest.” Tim won the 2nd place trophy and a Triggs Flattop Guitar by Jim & Ryan Triggs of Lawrence, KS.

Dan Bliss, a 48-year old professional musician from Merriam, KS placed third in this competition. Bliss has entered this contest three times and in 2005 he placed second. He plays a lot in the greater Kansas City area, the upper mid-west and does some teaching. When asked about his early playing days he says he has been playing for 37 years and began playing on his older brother’s Epiphone guitar. About the Festival, Dan says, “I’m starting to feel at home here.” For his talents he won the 2nd place trophy and a Gallagher GA-70 Cut-a-way Guitar by J.W. Gallagher & son of Wartrace, TN.

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Doyle Dykes

Friday Sept. 21

The Whites - 8:00-8:30

Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press - 8:30-9:00

Doyle Dykes - 9:00-9:30

Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys - 9:30-10:00

Saturday Sept. 22

Mike Snider - 7:00-7:30 & 9:30-10:00

The Whites - 7:30-8:00 & 10:00-10:30

Mountain Heart - 7:30-8:00 & 11:00-11:30

Doyle Dykes - 8:00-8:30 & 11:00-11:30

The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM 650 AM radio and online at www.WSMonline.com All listed times are central time.

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The Grascals

NASHVILLE, TN - Rounder recording group The Grascals have taken over the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart with “Long List of Heartaches”.The album, released in August 2006, debuted at #2 on the chart a year ago, and earned the group a Grammy^® nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.

The critically acclaimed release also includes “Did You Forget God Today,” written by Aubrey Holt and featuring harmony vocals by the Jordanaires. The song earned a GMA Dove Award nomination for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year, and is nominated for Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year at the 18th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards show, to be held on October 4 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, TN. The Grascals will perform on the show, where they are nominated for Entertainer of the Year, an award they first took home last year.

In addition to their awards show performance, The Grascals will perform at the annual IBMA Fan Fest on Friday, October 5. They will also perform at the Opry’s Bill Monroe Bluegrass Celebration, to be held at the Ryman Auditorium on October 2, and at the Bluegrass Spectacular at the Nashville Palace on October 3. View our previous story for a complete schedule of all IBMA performances

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L-R Sam Wachtler (2nd), Stephen Humphries (1st), Tina Gugeler (3rd)

Stephen Humphries of Chapin, SC took first place in the National Hammer Dulcimer competition. He has placed third the last two years. At the urging of Mark Wade, his former instructor, Stephen decided to head back to Winfield and try for a third time. The third time was the charm for this young man. The first place trophy, $100 and a Custom Engraved Master Works Russell Cook Edition 16/16c Hammer Dulcimer by Master Works of Bennington, OK were taken back to South Carolina.

Stephen is a 22-year old college senior at Presbyterian College who has been playing the hammer dulcimer for about seven and one-half years. He also plays drums and percussion. His first hammer dulcimer was given to him by his parents after they had rented one for him to learn on.

Sam Wachtler of Colorado Springs, CO took second place in the competition. This was his second trip to the Festival. He came back because he wanted to see some friends who had been to the Festival in 2005 when he was last here and he wanted to enter the competition. Sam has played the hammer dulcimer for the past six years and also plays the mandolin, guitar and fiddle. Wachtler credits his mother for becoming interested in the hammer dulcimer because she liked the sound of the instrument. Sam is a 15-year old home schooled student who loves to play volleyball, music and airsoft. He wins the 2nd place trophy, $75 in cash and a Huddleson UL400C 10/15/15 Fully Chromatic Hammer Dulcimer by Mike Huddleson Stringed Instruments of Wichita, KS.

Tina Gugeler of Erie, CO is no stranger to the Festival and this competition. Tina has been coming to Winfield for 14 years and this is the 6th time she has entered the hammer dulcimer competition. She is also a past winner having placed 3rd in 1998, 2nd in 1999 and 1st in 2000. Tina has played the hammer dulcimer for the past 21 years and loves to jam at the “Carp Camp” while at the Festival. Gugeler says she plays the guitar, penny whistle and the piano, but not in public. For her third place finish Tina has won $50 in cash, the 2nd place trophy and a Cloud Nine model 17/16/8 Hammer Dulcimer by Cloud Nine musical Instruments of Ostrander, OH.

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