Most songs and tunes in the bluegrass canon have been around the block a couple of times—to say the least. Many classics dating back to the first generation of bluegrass performers or earlier have been recorded dozens of times throughout … Read More
Prior columns mentioned a few bluegrass radio personalities in passing but this is the first column devoted to one. Bluegrass radio has been an important part of the music from the beginning. Bill Monroe joined the Grand Ole Opry in … Read More
This Contest is Closed The winners are Andy Bing and Todd Evans click photo to enlarge APRIL 21, 2023 TRIVIA QUESTION In 1989 the bluegrass community rejoiced when the Grammys announced they would finally include an award for a Bluegrass … Read More
We couldn’t be more excited to have the Gibson Brothers back to the HVBA tomorrow, Saturday 22nd! Eric and Leigh have been making bluegrass together for more than three decades. Their discography reflects their deep musical connection, with harmonies that—in … Read More
. A deep dive into the hundred year journey of one fiddle tune and how it contributed to the development of Bluegrass style fiddling Video and audio reference recordings for this article have been uploaded to a YouTube playlist. Links … Read More
Doc Watson, despite being blind since childhood, was a bluegrass visionary in all the right ways. He walked the line between centuries-old Appalachian musical traditions—owing to his upbringing in rural North Carolina—and pushing bluegrass forward alongside contemporaries like Clarence White … Read More
APRIL 7 , 2023 TRIVIA QUESTION Who Stuck to Just ONE Instrument? The bluegrass music masters generally have been very talented MULTI-instrumentalists. As a teenager, Sam Bush was an award-winning fiddler as well as a stunning mandolinist. In fact, he … Read More
This Contest is Closed No Winner This Week MARCH 24, 2024 TRIVIA QUESTION What is Billy Strings’ real name? A. William Apostol B. Hank Williams IV C. Will Forte D. William Stringer E. William Gibson Martin ANSWER is “A” Additional … Read More
This month, to celebrate my 50th column, I exercise one of the prerogatives of a columnist: focusing on the music of two particular favorites of mine-the late banjoist and singer/songwriter Dave Evans, and mandolinist and singer/songwriter Dick Staber. Perhaps their … Read More
Bluegrass helps the work go faster—especially down on the farm! Farming features heavily in bluegrass, and a lot of professional bluegrass musicians are farmers themselves, including Union Station bassist Barry Bales and Balsam Range fiddler Buddy Melton. This playlist features … Read More