The four-day NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival ended today with the NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival, a hugely successful weekend for the third-year event held in Redwood City. For the first time at the festival, the filmmakers for all three independent films on the program attended and spoke to the audience about their projects.

The BOB was the last of three festivals staged by the Northern California Bluegrass Society during a 4-week span, ending a run with the San Francisco Bluegrass & Old Time Festival and the Boulder Creek Bluegrass & Old Timey Festival.

Attendance was up significantly for all of the weekend’s live music events, including Saturday’s Northern California Bluegrass Awards.

NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway, including the NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival, receives principal financial support from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, Redwood City Public Library, Redwood City Friends of the Library, and Tapestry Church (formerly, the Peninsula Christian Center), and from other area businesses and individuals.

The Third Annual NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival ends on Sunday with a film festival featuring three new documentaries about Old Time Music made in the last year by Bay Area filmmakers, plus two outstanding films from the historic archives of the International Bluegrass Music Museum. The film festival (like all BOB festival events) is FREE.  Here is the Sunday schedule:

SUNDAY, March 14

NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival:

Noon-5:00pm, Community Room, Redwood City Main Library, 1044 Middlefield Road.

Host: Carl Pagter, International Bluegrass Music Museum Trustee.

The Crooked Jades: Old Time Is Not A Crime, by Jim Swenson & Doug Williford. Personal appearance by Doug Williford.

The New Lost City Ramblers In Always Been A Rambler, by Yasha Aginsky, presented by The Arhoolie Foundation.  Personal Appearances by Yasha Aginsky & Carrie Aginsky.

The Waltz To Westphalia: The Journey Of An American Fiddle Classic, by Joe Weed. Personal Appearance by Joe Weed.

Wade Mainer Concert Film, IBMM

Dan Crary, IBMM

The Dalton Mountain Gang of Fresno was named Best Bluegrass Band at the Northern California Bluegrass Awards in Redwood City on Saturday, March 13, 2010. The band’s lead singer and guitarist, Yoseff Tucker, was named Best Guitar Player and tied for Best Male Vocalist with Billy Pitrone, also of Santa Cruz. Newcomer A. J. Lee of Tracy was named Best Female Vocalist.

Ed Neff of Petaluma was named Best Mandolin Player by the voters, while Larry Cohea of Oakland repeated as Best Banjo Player. Santa Cruz’ Annie Staninec continued her reign as Best Fiddle Player. Kathy Barwick of Sacramento won the title of Best Dobro Player, while the voters named Paul Knight of Point Reyes Station the 2010 Best Bass Player.

Early leaders of the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society, Dick and Joyce Clark of Mountain Ranch and Dick and Judy Dowell of Davis, were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the third annual awards ceremony presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

The Northern California Bluegrass Awards are part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s four-day Bluegrass On Broadway Festival.

On Friday evening at the NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, the downtown Redwood City dining venues were packed with bluegrass fans and the music was hot!  A fine evening on the town. Saturday is the big concert and Northern California Bluegrass Awards Ceremony, followed by the Award Winners Jam (all jammers are welcome). All events this weekend are FREE. Here is tomorrow’s schedule:

SATURDAY, March 13

Northern California Bluegrass Awards & Concert:

Tapestry Church (formerly, the Peninsula Christian Center), 1305 Middlefield Road.

10:30am – Special Film Presentation: Yodeling Lady Lolita, by Bruce Bellagio

11:00 – Common Cents

Noon – Nell Robinson & Friends

1:00pm – Loganville Acoustic

2:00 – High Country

3:00-5:00pm – Northern California Bluegrass Awards with performances by:

Bean Creek

Pam Brandon aka Belle Monroe,

A. J. Lee & Betsy Riger

The Henriettas

Yoseff Tucker

5:15pm-ish to whenever – Award Winners Jam hosted by Bean Creek (All jammers are welcome), Little India.

The Thursday evening jam to open the 3rd Annual Bluegrass On Broadway Festival drew a huge crowd at Caffé Sportivo in Redwood City this evening — and the music was great! Lots of folks came that had never heard a live bluegrass jam session before, and all had a good time. Thanks to Mark Huisman and his pickin’ buddies for opening their regular Thursday evening Peninsula Bluegrass Crossing Jam to our NCBS festival-goers.

The BOB festival continues on Friday with an evening out in downtown Redwood City for good food, good friends, and good bluegrass music. Here are your options:

FRIDAY, March 12

An Evening of Bluegrass Dining in Downtown Redwood City:

27strings (Bluegrass) – 8:00-11:00pm, Angelica’s Bistro, 863 Main Street, (650) 365-3226.

Loganville Acoustic (Bluegrass) – 7:00-9:00pm, Little India, 917 Main Street, (650) 361-8737.

Swing Tonic (Eclectic) – 7:00-9:00pm, Sweet Basil, 911 Main Street, (650) 257-7594.

Enjoy!