The Tuttles With A. J. Lee is the first band to repeat as Northern California’s Best Bluegrass Band during the five-year run of the Northern California Bluegrass Awards. The band received the honor at a January 28, 2012 ceremony in Redwood City, California.

The Palo Alto-based band’s members also won individual honors: Jack Tuttle (Best Fiddle Player), Michael Tuttle (Best Mandolin Player), and Molly Tuttle (Best Female Vocalist).

Husband and wife Jim & Louise Mintun of Santa Cruz were honored on their respective instruments, with Jim named Best Dobro Player and Louise tied for Best Bass Player with Lisa Burns of Mountain View. Billy Pitrone of Santa Cruz was named Best Male Vocalist and Yoseff Tucker of San Francisco Best Guitar Player, while Larry Cohea of El Cerrito and Luke Abbott of Santa Cruz tied for Best Banjo Player.

Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to four currently-active, longtime leaders of Bay Area music non-profit organizations: Steve Baker, Berkeley (Berkeley Society For The Preservation Of Traditional Music dba The Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse), Richard Brooks, Palo Alto (Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association), Bruce Edmundson, Mountain View (Redwood Bluegrass Associates), and Mike McKinley, Santa Cruz (Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society).

The Northern California Bluegrass Awards are part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s January 27-29, 2012 Bluegrass On Broadway Festival. Principal financial support for the festival comes from the City of Redwood City’s Civic Cultural Commission, the Redwood City Public Library, One World Montessori School, Wickersham & Murphy, and the Tapestry Church.

Friday night at the BOB was fun! Our restaurants were packed with bluegrass fans — and locals new to the music — and that music was great. Downtown Redwood City was the place to be! See you tomorrow for a full day of bluegrass fun!

—

The FREE January 27-29, 2012 NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival continues in Redwood City:

SATURDAY, January 28

Northern California Bluegrass Awards Show & Concert

Tapestry Church Main Hall, 1305 Middlefield Road, 10:00am-5:00pm

10:00am — The Abbott Brothers

11:00 — Windy Hill

Noon — Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players

1:00pm — Bean Creek

2:00 — Dark Hollow

3:00-5:00 – Northern California Bluegrass Awards

Special Guest Performers: Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players, Bean Creek, The Abbott Brothers, The Central Valley Boys, Windy Hill

5:00-ish to whenever – Award Winners Jam (ALL jammers are welcome), Little India, 917 Main Street. Jam Hosts: Lisa Burns, Alex Sharps, Yoseff Tucker, Sullivan Tuttle, and Marty Varner

The five finalists for Best Bluegrass Band will be honored on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Northern California Bluegrass Awards in Redwood City. The 3:00-5:00pm Awards Show will be preceded by a concert beginning at 10:00am, all part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s FREE Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, set for January 27-29.

Complete Festival Schedule

The 2012 Best Bluegrass Band Finalists:

Bean Creek

OMGG

Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players

The Tuttles With A. J. Lee

Windy Hill

The 5th Annual Northern California Bluegrass Awards will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012, as part of the Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival in Redwood City. All BOB events are FREE and open to the public. Here is the schedule:

Northern California Bluegrass Awards Show And Concert

Tapestry Church Main Hall, 1305 Middlefield Road, Redwood City

10:00am — The Abbott Brothers

11:00 — Windy Hill

Noon — Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players

1:00pm – Bean Creek

2:00 — Dark Hollow

3:00-5:00 — Northern California Bluegrass Awards, (with special guest performers)

5:00-ish to whenever — Award Winners Jam (ALL jammers are welcome), Little India, 917 Main Street.

Complete BOB Festival Weekend Schedule

Four longtime current leaders of Bay Area non-profit music organizations will be honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards on January 28, 2012, as part of the 5th Annual Northern California Bluegrass Awards. They are:

Steve Baker, Berkeley Society For The Preservation of Traditional Music dba The Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, Berkeley.

Richard Brooks, Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association, Palo Alto.

Bruce Edmundson, Redwood Bluegrass Associates, Mountain View.

Mike McKinley, Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society, Santa Cruz.

The FREE day-long awards concert will be held in the Main Hall of the Tapestry Church, 1305 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. The Awards program will take place from 3:00-5:00pm. The program will be part of the weekend’s Bluegrass On Broadway Festival presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Complete Festival Schedule

Principal financial support for Bluegrass On Broadway comes from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission, Redwood City Public Library, One World Montessori School, Tapistry Church, and Wickersham & Murphy.