It hit me quickly after I had arrived at Jerry Jam 2017. It was the kind of revelation that, once discovered, seems obvious. But when it hit me, it felt earth-shattering. Not to mention fear-inducing. I looked down at the note I had just written. “I’m not going to have a lot to write about.” This came to me when I was watching The John K. band Friday afternoon.

After a patient and long 2-year search Cornmeal is thrilled to officially welcome fiddler Phillip Roach into the family.  Phil has been a long time friend of the band and as his tenure with The Giving Tree Band came to a close in early 2014, it only made sense to bring him aboard for some sit ins and collaborations with Cornmeal over this past year. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist with a diverse musical palate bringing passion and unrivaled energy to the stage.

Santa came early this year.  I must have been a good girl because Sept 6-9 2013, everything I asked for was left under the trees at Shoe Fest.  I had a taste of Nederland CO here at Camp Shaw in Manteno IL.   I saw some of the best dub stop music all weekend long.

Jeff Austin will join The Travelin' McCourys for The Bluegrass Ball at Shoe Fest this year. Shoe Fest is a three day outdoor music and camping event, featuring live music performances, which will take place September 6-8, 2013 at Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see in Manteno, IL.The Giving Tree Band, Henhouse Prowlers, This Must Be the Band, Old Shoe and Chicago Farmer will also be joining the Shoe Fest lineup this year.

Chicago, IL (January 18th, 2013) Shoe Fest will return to Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see in Manteno, IL for September 6-8, 2013.

Cornmeal and The Giving Tree Band have a lot in common.  They're both from Chicago, both play bluegrass/folk music, and both even have a set of brothers in the band.  When I asked Wavy Dave Burlingame of Cornmeal what he thought of the greenest band in