Birth of the Boston Bluegrass Union

It was in October 1976 that a new organization – the all-volunteer Boston Bluegrass Union – held its first shows. The first was Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys at 2 PM on October 3 at the First Church Congregational. Tickets were $2.50, with children admitted free. A pickin’ party followed the performance. The band was paid $200.00 for the show.²¹

The announcement of the first show was on a September one-page mailing piece – in effect the first newsletter. It stated the purposes of the new group:

“The BOSTON BLUEGRASS UNION is a cooperative effort of BG music lovers who want to put on shows, picking parties and workshops. Many of us helped to put on the Boston Area Friends of BG… shows and feel there is the need for our group to further highlight the BG talent here in New England and to bring in bands who have solid reputations in the bluegrass field who may not previously have appeared in Boston. Our shows will generally feature on (sic) band which will be followed by a picking party or an in-depth workshop. BBU is structured to keep our and your costs low and so that anyone who want to can join in the effort.”

Benefits from becoming a Friend of BBU were listed, as people were invited to join. Some 22 people were listed as in effect signing the announcement:

Richard Brown, Ross Cook, Lucille Curran, Diane DellaVella, Margaret Gerteis, Rich Hand, Marian Leighton, Eric Levenson, Mickey Levine, Bar Loritz, Raymond Magliozzi, Dan Marcus, Sara Parker, Jane Rutledge, Ken Shay, Paul Silvius, Alex Tottle, Jack Tottle, Joe Val, Steve Watt, Sue & Stan Zdonik.²²

BBU’s next show got some ink in the Boston Globe because of an unusual Sunday on November 7, 1976, when the Boston Bluegrass Union (“a new local organization”) presented Ted Lundy, Bob Paisley and the Southern Mountain Boys at the church at 2 PM while the “Boston Folksong Society” presented the Red Clay Ramblers at 8 PM.²³

On November 14, the BBU presented Tony Rice and Marie Rhines.

The new organization became very active and, after these initial shows, presented eight concerts in 1977 and eight in 1978 mostly at the First Church Congregational. Nearly half a century, and hundred of shows and events later, the BBU remains active and vital.

Note that the intention of the BBU was to offer a concert and activities from Fall to Spring, leaving the Summer to the outdoor concerts and festival presenters.  In the early years, concerts generally took place at the First Church Congregational in Cambridge.  Here are the concerts presented in the first years.

1976

• October 3 – Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys
• November 7 – Ted Lundy, Bob Paisley and the Southern Mountain Boys
• November 14 – Tony Rice and Marie Rhines

1977 

• January 9 – Northern Lights
• March 13 – Apple Country (at the Gutman Library, Harvard School of Education) 
• April 15 – Tasty Licks
• April 29 – Del McCoury and the Dixie Pals
• May 20 – Lilly Bros. Band with White Mtn. Bluegrass
• September 25 – Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys
• October 23 – Buck White and the Down Home Folks
• November 20 – The Bluegrass Cardinals

1978

• Jan – Orrin Star and Gary Mehalick with White Mtn. Bluegrass Mehalick
• Feb – Pine Island 
• March 19 – Ted Lundy, Bob Paisley and the Southern Mtn. Boys
• April 16 – Apple Country
• May 21 – Tasty Licks, with Hazel Dickens and Heartland
• September 24 – Apple Country
• October 22 – Buck White and the Down Home Folks
• November 19 – Ted Lundy, Bob Paisley and the Southern Mtn. Boys with Bay State Bluegrass

1979

• January 14 – Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys
• February 11 – Country Gazette
• April 29 – Boot Hill
• May 20 – Tasty Licks
• September 23 – Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys
• November 18 – Buck White and the Down Home Folks with Jerry Douglas
• December 2 – Hot Rize with String Fever

Footnotes –

21.  Eric Levenson kept detailed records of New England Bluegrass Boys shows. They had been paid $60.00 for a show at Passim on September 21. The band’s best-paying gig of the year was for two days – August 20-21 – at Smokey Greene’s Festival in Porter’s Corner, New York. That brought in $1,350. E-mail from Eric Levenson on October 16, 2025.
22. In the text here, we have corrected the spelling of Marian Leighton’s first name and corrected “on band” to read as “one band.” Bar was Barbara Perryclear Loritz. Sue Zdonik is Susan Bartholomew, who signed the articles of incorporation. Lucille Curran was a married name for Lucille Magliozzi. Mickey Levine was another of the 22. In a December 23, 2025 interview with the author, he recalled often going to Cambridge Common on Saturdays to play music, and he worked helping out at Sandy’s Music – though not technically an employee. He and Frankie Lieberman both helped Sandy Sheehan bring records for sale to the various shows.
23. The latter organization was the Folksong Society of Greater Boston. See Steve Morse’s Weekend column in the November 5, 1976 Boston Globe.