A number of individuals who have made substantial contributions to furthering bluegrass music in New England will be presented with 2009 BBU Heritage Awards during the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival presented by the Boston Bluegrass Union over Presidents Day Weekend, February 13-15, at the Sheraton Framingham in Framingham, Massachusetts.

This year’s honorees include Al Hawkes, a musician, entertainer, Event Records label owner and founder and one of New England’s foremost record collectors; Sandy Sheehan, the banjo-picking host of Traditional Folk on WUMB since 1986 and owner of Sandy’s Music, a shop in Cambridge that features a diverse array of stringed instruments, new and old traditional music LPs and CDs, instrument repairs and lessons, as well as weekly Monday night jam sessions; and the original members of Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys (the late Joe Val on mandolin and vocals, Herb Applin on guitar and vocals, Bob French on Banjo and vocals, and bassist Bob Tidwell), who recorded a series of albums on the Cambridge Rounder label and brought traditional, hard-driving, Bill Monroe-derived bluegrass to New England audiences beginning in the early 1970s.

Now in its 24th year, the annual indoor bluegrass festival that bears Val’s name will feature performances by such artists as Dailey and Vincent (2008 IBMA Entertainers, Vocal Group and Emerging Artists of the Year), Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (2008 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year), Dry Branch Fire Squad, Kruger Brothers Bluegrass Project, Claire Lynch Band, Anna Mae Mitchell, NewFound Road, Bobby Osborne, Charlie Sizemore, Steep Canyon Ranchers, Straight Drive, Bradley Walker, Josh Williams Band and more. In addition to national and regional artists, there will be master classes, workshops, directed slow jam, the Joe Val Bluegrass Academy for Kids, and lots of pickin’ going on. Single day and weekend passes are available.

More information on the 24th Joe Val Bluegrass Festival – including main stage and workshop schedules, artist bios, ticket pricing and more can be found at www.bbu.org.

Bluegrass pickers and players in the greater Boston area also might be interested to know that the nonprofit, all-volunteer Boston Bluegrass Union will be sponsoring a weekly jam on Wednesdays, beginning March 4. The jams are slated for 7-11 p.m. at the Stagecoach Inn in Groton, Massachusetts.