NEWS & HOT EVENTS

2009 CALENDAR

Friday Night Jam Sessions - The Kentucky Thumb Pickers Club gets together to pick and grin on  Friday nights from 7 to 9 pm at the Clifton Baptist Church.  It is located at the corner of US60 (Frankfort Ave) and Bellaire Avenue, a few blocks off of I-64 in Louisville.  The pickin' starts about 7 pm and ends when we wear out.  Come pick with us or just drop by and listen.  Click here for more club info and a map link. 

  July 4th - Odell Martin Day at the Martin Homeplace in Allegre, Ky. This all day event celebrates the picking of another fine West Kentucky thumbpicker. Odell played on the Grand Ole Opry, traveled and played with Paul Yandell and contributed to Chet's long list of recorded tunes with David's Dance. We'll be picking by 10 AM and continue till 6:00 pm. They will be cooking on the grill again so food or drinks are available.  Come on down and pick with us.  For more information, contact Freddie Russell at 1-270-265-0956 or John Martin at 1-270-265-9975.

  July 7, 2009 - 1:00-3:00 PM - The Merle Travis Music Center Open House.  We thought some early CAAS people might like to drive up to Muhlenberg Co, see and visit some of the thumbpicking sites. There will be an open mic jam.  Also, a portrait of Merle Travis painted by Mrs. Gary (Jean) Lambert will be presented and unveiled during this time.   It's about 90 miles from CAAS headquarters to the The Merle Travis Music Center, and you should have plenty of time to see the sites, pick a little, and be back for the Steve Wariner Tribute or the Pre-CAAS Show at the Factory that night.   For directions, click HERE. 

  July 7th - 7:00 pm - Steve Wariner c.g.p., My Tribute to Chet Atkins Concert will be held at the The Loveless Barn at 8400 Highway 100 Nashville, TN. Tickets: $100 VIP ticket, includes meet-and-greet reception prior to concert at 6:00 pm and reserved seating; $35 ticket (general admission, open seating). Tickets on sale 5/22 at 10:00am. For more information and directions, click HERE. 

  July 7th - 6:30 pm - 3rd Annual Chet AtkinsTribute Show featuring John Knowles, Muriel Anderson, Stephen Bennett, Tommy Emmanuel, Pete Huttlinger, Darrell Toney, Shane Adkins, Ben Owens and Ron Thompson will be held on Tuesday night before CAAS. It will be at the Jamison Hall at the The Factory in Franklin, 230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN. Tickets: $ 15 Ad van ce($20 day of the event). For more info, call 615-595-2544 or click HERE. 

  July 8th - 11th - 25th Annual Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention will be at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville,TN (Phone: 615-885-2200). It is the greatest fingerpicking event in the world with guests and performers from around the world.  The convention opens at 10am on Wednesday, July 8.  Registration fee if postmarked by June 1, 2006 is $145, later it's $160. The fee covers the member (registrant), spouse (or “significant other”) and children living at home.  There is a separate $10 charge for EACH PERSON including the registrant to attend the Saturday night closing concert. Seating for Saturday evening is limited to the first 1100 attendees registered.  Download and mail the registration form.  Phone (865)577-2828, Fax (865)687-2065 or e-mail GMPJR1@aol.com for more information.  Link to more info and pictorial review.  Don't miss it. 

  July 12, 2009 - 6:30 pm - Doyle Dykes in concert at the Forks of Elkhorn Baptist Church in Midway, KY between Lexington and Frankfort.  It's located at 495 Duckers Road.  Donations to defray expenses accepted at the concert.  It's FREE - Bring the family.  Doyle will also be playing for the 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. services.  Call 859-873-1967 or 866-371-5600 (Toll Free). Go to their website at www.forksbaptist.org for directions.

  July 17-19 - Summer NAMM Show will be held at the Nashville Convention Center, 601 Commerce St. in downtown Nashville, TN.  Open to authorized dealers, music store owners and guests (hint, hint).  There will be great displays of every kind of musical instrument and equipment with many musician demonstrating their wares and conducting evening concerts throughout the downtown area.

  Saturday, July 18, 7:30 pm - Muriel Anderson's All Star Guitar Night will be held at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This year's guest's include Muriel Anderson, James Burton, Tommy Emmanuel, Nokie Edwards, Duane Eddy, Thom Bresh, 
Pete Huttlinger, Strunz and Farah, Don Alder, Greg Bennett, Rick Vito, The Johnny Hiland Band and more! Go HERE for more information.

   July 30 - 8:00 pm - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at the The Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA. The Variety Playhouse is located at 1099 Euclid Avenue in Little Five Points, close to Virginia Highlands and the Carter Center. For additional information call 404-524-7354 or go to their site HERE.  

  July 31 - 8:00 pm - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at the James K. Polk Theater in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in Nashville, TN. TPAC is located in the James K. Polk Cultural Center at 505 Deaderick Street in downtown Nashville, occupying an entire city block between 5th and 6th Avenues and Deaderick and Union Streets. Tickets range from $34.50 / $29.50 / $24.50 and are available at Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Go HERE for more information and directions. 

  Aug 1 - 8:00 pm - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, TN. It is located at 1555 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN. Tickets are $25 in advance - $27 day of show. Order tickets by mail: Phone# 866-609-1744 - $2 Facility fee on all orders. For more information call (901) 312-6058 or go to their site at HERE.

  Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 pm - Club Meeting and Picking Party.   Come out and enjoy the show and pick with us.   Everyone is encouraged to attend.  Invite as many friends as you can to help support this club activity.  There will be lots of food and drinks.  Members should bring pot luck sides (a veggie, salad, bread and/or dessert) for the Club prepared entree.  There are several rooms available to use for guitar workshops, mini-concerts, picking circles and individual lessons. Come enjoy a day of guitar with us. You can pick, teach, learn or just watch & listen. So, gather some friends and come on down to the Clifton Baptist Church at 1947 Frankfort Ave (corner of Bellaire Ave) for a day of great thumbpicking. Questions? Call Alex at 1-502-267-7603 or Scott at 1-859-223-3576.  Click here for more club info and a map link.

  September 4th and 5th - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at Mcauley Performing Arts Center in Cincinnati, OH.  It is located at 6000 Oakwood Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45224.  

  September  25th - National Thumb Pickers Hall of Fame.  The 2009 Induction ceremony will be held at The Merle Travis Music Center in Muhlenberg County, Ky.  The Induction ceremony includes guest picking performances and picking by some of the nominees.  Just one part of a full weekend.  For info on hotels and directions, click HERE.

  September  26th - 9:00 AM - International Thumbpicking Contest and Evening Concert - The contest has become divided into 3 contests for traditional thumbpicking, contemporary fingerstyle and non-thumbpicking.  Great guitars are given away as prizes and loads of great pickin' and grinnin'.   Also held at Paradise Park in Muhlenberg County, Ky.  That's near Powderly, between Central City and Greenville.  For info on hotels and directions, click HERE.

  September  27th - All Day - Open Mic Jam at Paradise Park.  They'll have refreshments and concessions so just bring your guitar and lawn chair to sit at the tree covered park and enjoy an array or fine pickers on stage.  No admission.  A great way to close out the picking weekend.

  Oct 3rd - 8:00 pm  - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural Center in New Albany, IN.  It is located at 4201 Grant Line Rd.  Tickets available through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or HERE.  

  October 5, 2009 at 7:30 PM. - Ray Cummins will be in concert at The Betty Hamilton Center For Performing Arts in The Corbin High School in Corbin, Ky. It is located at 19th St Corbin, KY. Tickets are $25. For more info, call 606-524-1354.

  Oct 6 - 7:30 pm - Tommy Emmanuel will be in concert at the Grand Theater in Frankfort, KY.  The theater is under construction and the box office is closed until mid-July. Tickets available when box office reopens.  Buy tickets HERE or call 502-352-7469.  The Grand is located at 308 St. Clair Street.

  Thursday October 29 - 7:00 PM - Leo Kottke will be in concert at the historic Kentucky Theatre in Lexington, KY.  Tickets: $24.50 plus tax S&H.  Call 859-231-7924 after 4PM.  The theater is located at 231 Main in Lexington.

Regularly Scheduled Picking Events

  KTPC Saturday Meeting and Picking Party Schedule - Our meetings are normally on the Second Saturdays of the even numbered months.  (February, April, June, August, October, December) at 2:00 p.m. A short business meeting is generally preceded by an informal jam session and is followed by a guest performer or the continuance of the jam session. A pot luck meal or light refreshments are available. Members, friends and the general public are invited to attend.  A few of the dates are not 2nd Saturdays due to scheduling conflicts with the facilities.  Here are the dates for the year:

KTPC Friday Night Picking at Clifton. We meet at the Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville every Friday night and have a picking circle and share tunes. Picking starts around 7 PM so grab your guitar and join in or just stop by and listen. There is no charge for admission and we welcome all members and guests.  Refreshments are available.  Clifton Baptist Church is located at 1947 Old Frankfort Ave, at the corner with Bellaire Ave.

Acoustic Guitar Masters Concert Series 9
All shows are at the John Hardin High School, 384 W a Jenkins Rd in Elizabethtown, Ky.  Click HERE for a map.  Order tickets by sending a check or money order with a  self-addressed stamped envelope to: Trinity Music Productions, 1048 Ferrill Hill Road, Buffalo, Ky 42716. email: ematting@scrtc.com for additional information  Here are the artists and dates:

November 1, 2008        Mary Flower and Tim Grimm  
December 6, 2008        Stephen Bennett 
February 5, 2009          Tommy Emmanuel 
February 6, 2009          Tommy Emmanuel with special guest John Jorgenson 
February 7, 2009          Tommy Emmanuel Concert and Guitar Workshop
February 8, 2009          Tommy Emmanuel Guitar Workshop
March 7, 2009                Dan Crary 
April 4, 2009                   Todd Hallawell and Robin Kessinger 

 
Four Legends Jamboree is held every second Saturday at the Drakesboro City Hall in Drakesboro, KY. Everyone gets a chance to join in the picking and grinnin’. Call 1-270-476-8690 for more information. 

Pickin’ In The Park provides a variety of players and some open mic nights and operates seasonally.  Every Friday night at Paradise Park in Powderly, KY from June thru September the stage is filled with the sounds of West Kentucky picking. Call 1-270-338-2520 for details and head on down to pick and listen. 

   Back to the Kentucky Thumbpickers Club HomePage