Back in 2009, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival was in its ninth year of putting on the largest FREE bluegrass and related music festival in the world. Venture Cap. mogul Warren Hellman, who played a pretty solid banjo himself, bankrolled the event every year while living, and has created an endowment for the festival to continue into the future. This year, 2022, the festival will return to Golden Gate Park after a two year covid hiatus.
In 2009, there were some of Bluegrass, Country and American Folk music's ROYALTY present. Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Hazel Dickens, Steve Earle, Steve Martin and Tim O'Brien to name a few. On a personal note, that year, I was supremely fortunate to receive an upgrade from the usual "Friends and Family" backstage passes that I was getting every year. I received my one and only, all-access laminate for the weekend. I scrambled to get to the main stage on Friday evening in time to catch the headliners: John Prine, followed by Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. I get there in time to scramble on stage to the small viewing area, stage right, just before Prine starts his solo-acoustic set. I'm the only bloke in the 8 seat on-stage viewing area. In between the opener and the second number, an elder statesmen walks up and sits down right next to me. He smiles warmly, nods, and immediately becomes my "show buddy." After the second song, he looks and me, extends his hand and says, "Hi, I'm Warren." As I instinctively shake his hand, I quickly realize that this is the fine man, Warren Hellman, who is making this whole festival possible. We sat together and enjoyed the set, two music enthusiasts, high on the moment, in communion. May Warren Hellman Rest in Peace.
This trio of images put together as one photograph were taken by none other than Rock & Roll photographer extraordinaire, Jay Blakesberg. The trio features a photo of the ageless and enduring beauty, Emmylou Harris, a shot with John Prine joined by Lyle Lovett, and an INCREDIBLE photo of the bluegrass luminaries Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, Earl Scruggs, and Doc Watson. Only McCoury is still alive today.
This photograph is in near mint plus condition (see below) as it has never been framed or displayed. It has been stored using best-practices archival methods, flat and out of the light, since the day I bought it in late 2009. The overall piece measures 15" x 20." The individual images measure 13.5" x 9" and 6.5" x 4.5."
One note: I am friends with Jay and he printed this trio on one sheet per my request. I don't know if he still will do this as his work is now in such high demand. This offering gives one the opportunity to get three Blakesberg photos for the price of one.
Your photo is printed on very thick art stock photo paper (only paper Jay uses). It is too thick and rigid to roll. Thus, this photograph must be mailed flat. I only use Masterpak flat professional art shippers to ship flat, and accordingly, it is a little more expensive to ship this photograph. However, it is well worth the cost and effort!
Thank you for looking!
And, as always, "everybody, hang loose."
My Poster (and photography) Grading System:
Near Mint: A poster (or photo) that is close enough to perfect that there are no noticeable defects to describe. In the case of postcards or handbills, this grade denotes an item that is essentially perfect. Even though posters are often graded “Near Mint,” in actuality, they are truly seldom in such fine condition.
Near Mint Minus: A poster, photograph or handbill with a possible corner crease or two, or some possible minor handling. Corners might be rounded a touch, there may be clean tack holes in each corner, and the poster may have been hung once or previously framed. This grade usually comes across as “Near Mint” once framed.
Very Fine: Still great looking and crisp, posters or photographs of this grade have usually been around for many years and sustained minor wear. These posters may have fold in corners or a slight crease or two in the image area, but with no paper missing. In some cases, there may be minor tears in the margins or light aging in regards to the coloration. If a poster has a number of these stated issues, it will usually grade out as “Fine.”
Fine: A poster grading “Fine”might have minor damage in the central image or a fair amount of edge wear (or both in some cases). It may also have light tape stains on the back, abrasions or mild scratches, tape pulls or multiple tears. This grade often exhibits multiple tack holes and may have heavier aging of the paper (especially if it's an old poster) or some identifiable staining.