PERFORMERS 2 0 2 5 O I B F P R O G R A M OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Alan Munde
MUNDE HAULS BANJO TO OIBF FOR SOLO, HUNT BROTHERS PERFORMANCES
by JOE MACK
Alan Munde, winner of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, member of the American Banjo Hall of Fame, and a recent inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, will make his annual pilgrimage from Springfield, MO, to Guthrie to ramble about and rock the OIBF stage. Alan himself will tell you, don’ t let the prestige fool you.
“ I like to also say, could a gig be far behind?” he chides. Carrying on in earnest,“ Seriously, it ' s an extreme honor to have received these prestigious awards and the recognition that goes with them. It took a lot of help from a lot of people to hoist me into this position, not the least of which is Byron.”
Munde’ s musical journey began during the folk boom of the late 1950s early‘ 60s with interest in guitar, but after hearing the banjo, he switched focus.
“ I was inspired by almost every kind of music I heard, especially those that featured the guitar prominently,” Munde said,“ all the Saturday afternoon country music shows;“ The Lawrence Welk Show” featuring Neil Levang on guitar. Years ago, while living in Los Angeles, Byron and I did a session for Walt Disney, and all the other musicians on the session were Welk people, including Levang, which was a big thrill for me.”
Munde met Berline in college who introduced him to the great banjo player Eddie Shelton, who’ d become a life-long friend and banjo mentor.
“ Byron and I played a lot during our college days together at OU,” Munde recalls.“ I especially remember coming back from one event late on a Friday or Saturday night driving and listening to the Grand Ole Opry ' s live radio broadcast on WSM. As we drove down the road into a low lying area, we were losing the signal as Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys were being introduced. Byron stopped the car and backed up the hill until the signal was strong enough to come in. We parked and listened to the song, then drove on. Hearing live bluegrass on the radio, especially Monroe, we sure didn ' t want to miss that.”
Recently, Munde has been recording and releasing music with Austin based mandolin master Billy Bright, including the duo albums Bright Munde and Es Mi Suerte, a Bright-produced solo album for the Patuxent label, Excelsior.
IBF
Cowboy Jim Garling
ADDS A BIT OF HISTORY TO PERFORMANCES
Jim Garling can’ t change this cattle market, but his music can sure enough make you take your mind off it. Boots tap, hands clap and grins grow when this native Oklahoman cowboy begins to strum. There are few performers who bring life to a room than the talents, personable Garling of Guthrie.
Garling loves reaching into the past not to imitate Gene Autry, Roy Rogers or Bob Wills, but to combine their sounds to get the right mix of old-style, acoustic, western cowboy music.
With guitar strap on shoulder, pick in hand and a bushy mustache bordering his genuine smile, he brings country-era music classics as well as favorite tunes from contemporary artists. Reflecting on the cowboy lifestyle his performance includes short histories and interesting anecdotes from the past.
Garling has recorded 3 CDs from the western genre with an additional CD of cowboy gospel.
A member of the Oklahoma Arts Council touring council, Garling was recently inducted into the Western Swing Music Hall of Fame.
IBF
8 / OKLAHOMA’ S INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL 2025