Bluegrass is a genre full of stories. The earliest ballads, love stories, and tales of the old home place permeated the genre from its inception, making it known early on that bluegrass is a medium for telling stories as much as it is for playing music. Stories about places and people—like that no good Wild Bill Jones or Fiddlin’ Will who loved to saw on the strings—make up some of the foundational bluegrass repertoire. Storytelling is still, in this writer’s opinion, what differentiates a good bluegrass song from a great one. Enjoy this list of great bluegrass storytelling from the Del McCoury Band, the Grascals, Steve Martin, and more!

David Chernack
David Chernack is a fiddler, mandolinist, and guitarist from Hyde Park, NY. Trained as a classical violist, David found out about bluegrass music through the Strawberry Hill Fiddlers program and despite his best efforts has been unable to kick the habit. He picked up mandolin and guitar in college in Boston, where he studied environmental science and music. After moving to Denver and performing and touring with several Coloradan bands, he's back in the Hudson Valley. Aside from bluegrass, David also enjoys birdwatching and driving his VW Golf and Mazda Miata.

Latest posts from David Chernack
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