Mike Scott is one of those guys who has a thousand-watt smile—his album covers look like ads for dental work—and always seem to be selling something. Indeed, what he is selling is himself and his ability to do so is … Read More
In the liner notes to Standing Tall and Tough, Paul Williams notes “How amazing is it that three guys on Medicare can still be onstage performing this great American music called bluegrass?” It’s a comment, at least on the face … Read More
Michael Cleveland is an absolute delight, and if you have any cause to doubt it, then have a listen to “Jack O Diamonds” from his latest release, On Down the Line. It’s the standard old-time fiddle tune, though he fills … Read More
There are quite a few similarities between Balsam Range and Blue Highway, this is in terms of the way they approach music, the kinds of songs they present, and their ability as musicians. And there’s this too: they always seem … Read More
I saw Volume 5 at Merlefest and was immediately struck that I hadn’t of heard them before. Great musicians, very nice presentation, and some great story songs and ballads—a very complete package all around. But (you could sense this coming, … Read More
I reached Eric by phone while he was on the road traveling south for a few dates in Florida. I asked him about his (relatively) new Henderson guitar, brother duets, and life on the road. Always gracious, Eric is as … Read More
Ben Eldridge has said that The Seldom Scene “it started sort of like our Monday night card game.” All the members had careers. Eldridge was a mathematician, John Starling was a medical doctor, Tom Gray was a cartographer for National … Read More
I was once in the audience at a guitar workshop given by Bryan Sutton and Jack Lawrence, and it was as delightful as it was geeky. Sutton talked about how he, as a tween, would travel to festivals and record … Read More
What makes a good song? Wouldn’t we all love to know, though to some extent we do. At the very least, though it might sound crass, it’s got a hook, three verses and a chorus. Melody is important, though so … Read More
About a year ago, a tribute album to John Denver was released which was in a word, awful. I reviewed it for KDHX radio, which was kind of fun, actually, given that you rarely get the chance to review something … Read More