In prior posts I have mentioned in passing some of the sources of bluegrass vocal repertoire. These included old time sources such as the Carter Family, whose songs have been covered by bluegrass artists from the Monroe Brothers (actually pre-bluegrass) … Read More
The Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association Board of Directors, at their January 2021 meeting, unanimously selected Andy Bing and Bruno Bruzzese to join them as members of the Association. Before his move to Albany, NY, Andy was a regular attendee at … Read More
All I can say after listening to this album is: finally. Finally, Justin Moses has struck out on his own and defined his vision, skillset, and identity within the bluegrass genre. Finally, Justin Moses—who a lot of my picking … Read More
This Contest is Closed The winners are:Mike SassanoWayne FugateLarry MandonGeorge NascaMike FowlerVinny NugentAndy Bing click to enlarge January 15, 2021 TRIVIA QUESTION What bluegrass performer helped Emmy Lou Harris establish her “bona fides” in the traditional country and bluegrass music … Read More
The sad news of Tony Rice’s passing on Christmas Day has prompted many well deserved and insightful tributes to his extraordinary skills as a guitar innovator and singer. It’s safe to say that Tony Rice’s influence is heard in nearly … Read More
Flatt and Scruggs are the other fathers of bluegrass. Earl Scruggs’ banjo playing—with his signature three-finger style—practically reinvented the instrument, while Lester Flatt’s singing and songwriting set a bedrock for the genre in the 1950s. Naturally, many of their greatest … Read More
This Contest is Closed The winners are Al Gassman, Steve Margulis, Gary DiGiovanni, and Andy Bing January 1, 2021 TRIVIA QUESTION Where did Del McCoury make his very first appearance as one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, playing banjo, … Read More
Happy New Year. Let’s hope for better things for all of us in 2021. This week’s post was suggested by a reader who directed my attention to a video on You Tube’s Fiddle Channel. The Fiddle Channel is the creation … Read More
Tony Rice tragically passed away far too young at the age of 69 on Christmas Day. It is impossible to overstate the effect Tony had on acoustic music, not to mention bluegrass—and to this day, he has no true equal … Read More
by Ricky Skaggs Sometime during Christmas morning while making his coffee, our dear friend and guitar hero Tony Rice passed from this life and made his swift journey to his heavenly home. It’s still quite a shock to the … Read More