Irish songwriter Niall Toner has written a book about his chosen profession, set for a June 8 launch at The Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas, held during the Carlow Arts Festival in County Carlow, in the southeast of Ireland. The Nuts and Bolts of [...]
Every now and then, two artists come together and form a collaboration that fans are sure to remember for years to come. With their debut release, Reborn, Mark Newton and Steve Thomas have likely earned themselves a spot in that category. This twelve-song collection is [...]
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote Crossing the Bar in 1889, three years before he died. The poem describes his placid and accepting attitude toward death. Although he followed this work with subsequent poems, he requested that Crossing the Bar appear as the final poem in all [...]
With the retirement of Richard Hawkins, originator and manager of The Bluegrass Ireland Blog, the task of keeping the enthusiastic Irish bluegrass scene informed online has fallen to Ray O’Brien, who keeps things up to date with the Bluegrass In Ireland Facebook group. Ray invites everyone [...]
Boston’s Chasing Blue has released a new music video for Come To Me, the opening track from their current EP, Low Valley. The song is a variation on the theme of, “He may not be Mr. Right, but he’s Mr. Right Now.” It features their [...]
Every now and then, two artists come together and form a collaboration that fans are sure to remember for years to come. With their debut release, Reborn, Mark Newton and Steve Thomas have likely earned themselves a spot in that category. This twelve-song collection is [...]
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote Crossing the Bar in 1889, three years before he died. The poem describes his placid and accepting attitude toward death. Although he followed this work with subsequent poems, he requested that Crossing the Bar appear as the final poem in all [...]
Rural Rhythm Records is launching a new series of classic bluegrass reissues for online download which they are calling Rural Roots Digital. The first two re-releases include timeless albums from Red Smiley and The Bluegrass Cutups, and fiddler Curly Fox. When Sam Pasamano purchased Rural [...]
Randy Barnes is the new bass player with Marty Raybon & Full Circle. He has been out with the band since April 28, and is also participating in the harmony singing. He joins Chris Wade on banjo, Zach Rambo on mandolin, and Tim Raybon on [...]
Many bluegrass musicians first developed their love of this genre from listening carefully to their grandparents and other relatives making music. Kenny Thacker is no different. On his latest release, On the Front Porch, this Kentucky-born pastor pays tribute to his grandfather, and the others [...]
With the retirement of Richard Hawkins, originator and manager of The Bluegrass Ireland Blog, the task of keeping the enthusiastic Irish bluegrass scene informed online has fallen to Ray O’Brien, who keeps things up to date with the Bluegrass In Ireland Facebook group. Ray invites everyone [...]
Nechville Musical Products has debuted a new Diamond Joe banjo, customized as a signature model for Sonny Smith. Sonny, along with his guitar-picking brother Kenny, has been playing bluegrass music since he was a child. Both were entering – and winning – instrumental competitions by [...]
Our Special Bluegrass Correspondent, John Goad, has organized a fun competition for the month of May. He’s trying to locate the ugliest mandolin amongst the readers of Bluegrass Today. If you’ve got an ugly mandolin, we want to see it! Don’t be bashful; show [...]
The Chapmans are hosting an all-day music event this Saturday (5/4) for the official Grand Opening of their new business venture, The Acoustic Shoppe in Springfield, MO. Live music will be provided from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. featuring The Hillbenders and several bluegrass and acoustic [...]
Last Spring we shared happy news from Missouri’s The Harper Family, when they signed with Crossroads Music’s Pisgah Ridge label. Changes, their first album for Pisgah Ridge, was released in August 2012, and the band has been touring in support since that time. Now we have [...]
Irish songwriter Niall Toner has written a book about his chosen profession, set for a June 8 launch at The Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas, held during the Carlow Arts Festival in County Carlow, in the southeast of Ireland. The Nuts and Bolts of [...]
Boston’s Chasing Blue has released a new music video for Come To Me, the opening track from their current EP, Low Valley. The song is a variation on the theme of, “He may not be Mr. Right, but he’s Mr. Right Now.” It features their [...]
In advance of this month’s release of This World Oft Can Be from Della Mae, Rounder has produced a music video for the lead single, Empire. It’s a song written and sung by the Dellas’ rhythm guitarist and vocalist Celia Woodsmith, supported by bandmates Kimber Ludiker [...]
Last night in Nashville, Mark Newton & Steve Thomas held a CD release party at the Swinging Doors Saloon, which also served as the premiere of their music video for Old McDonald Sold The Farm. The guys have graciously allowed us to offer the online premiere [...]
Signature Sounds has released a preview video for Wide Awake, their upcoming 7-track CD from Joy Kills Sorrow. The Boston-based band specializes in original music that flirts with the line between modern bluegrass and contemporary indie-pop. Emma Beaton fronts the group and sings lead with [...]
We heard this week from Kaz Inaba, who shared some photos and a few words about a show this week in Tokyo where he welcomed famed Maryland-based fiddler Jon Glik to the stage. “A few days ago, on May 14, my band, Kazuhiro Inaba & [...]
Here’s our Special Bluegrass Correspondent with information about the Bloomin’ BBQ & Bluegrass festival this weekend, and a quick guitar lesson. And don’t forget our Ugly Mandolin contest… Ugly Mandolin May will continue until the end of the month. We’re not mocking anyone or anything; we just [...]
John McEuen, a founding member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is to receive the 2013 Charlie Poole Lifetime Achievement Award. Banjo player McEuen, who is scheduled to top the bill at the 18th Annual Charlie Poole Music Festival, is to receive the award at [...]
One last MerleFest 2013 gallery from Andy Garrigue, who also shared these comments. Heavy numbers poured in Sunday to see The Avett Brothers close down Merlefest 2013, despite the calls for rain throughout the day, and their late afternoon set was alternately passionately energetic, to [...]
Thanks to Laura Tate Ridge for this fine gallery of photos from the Family Style Bluegrass Festival, held late last month at Willow Oak Park in Roxboro, NC.
Is it “Mon-ROE” or “MUN-roe”? Is how we pronounce bluegrass names important? It probably is, yet it’s not always as simple as it might seem. Do we pronounce people’s names the way they would pronounce them themselves, or do we just say those names the [...]
I’m on a flight across North America right now, the second of three legs of my trip home from our recent European tour. This seemed like a good time to write this column, because for one thing the deadline is almost here, and for another, [...]
Greetings from Prague, in the Czech Republic, where our European tour is starting this week. Before I go on to much less serious and important subjects, I want to acknowledge a big loss in bluegrass music, especially for northeastern bluegrass fans: Bob Mavian passed away [...]
I walked into the store, and even though I was the only one in there, I saw a thousand faces staring back at me. The glare of the cellophane made it hard to see, but I liked it. By not having Blu-ray players and plasma [...]
Early spring brings its familiar signs: the start of the baseball season, the blooming of daffodils, and in the northern states and Canada, a seemingly endless supply of mud. Late spring will be here before we know it, though, and with it a sign of [...]
At a press conference this afternoon in Raleigh, NC, the International Bluegrass Music Association announced PNC Bank as the presenting sponsor for the 2013 Wide Open Bluegrass festival. This two-day event, running September 27-28 and formerly known as Bluegrass Fan Fest, occurs just following the [...]
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On This Day……………………… On May 15, 2002 Ray Park died. Ray Park (guitar and fiddle) is most notable for his partnership with mandolin player Vern Williams. In 1959 they formed a band called the Carroll County Country Boys; the very first bluegrass band in greater [...]
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The Cherry Pickers are a new young bluegrass group in the San Francisco, CA area featuring Isaac Cantor on banjo, Riley HIll on guitar, Rich Kearns on mandolin, and Leo Suarez on bass. Their goal is to write and record their own music, walking the line between contemporary and [...]
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Today (5/14) marks the release of Stormy Horizons, a new CD project from The Expedition Show, on Mountain Fever Records. Fans can hear the entire record this week on Sirius-XM’s Track-by-Track with Kyle Cantrell, starting on Wednesday (5/15) at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). The show will [...]
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With a title like Grandma’s Rules for Drinking, the most recent release from Canadian folk group Annie Lou, offers intriguing possibilities for potential listeners. What they will find upon pressing play is an enjoyable collection of original music in the string band tradition. The songs [...]
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Bud’s Collective at DC Bluegrass Fest
Here we have David Morris’ final interview from the DC Bluegrass Festival, this time with Buddy Dunlap and Bud’s Collective.
Here is David Morris’ interview with Danny and Ryan Paisley at the DC Bluegrass Festival this past weekend. Once again, thanks to Eric Tapp for technical assistance. The video is presented in B&W owing to the poor lighting in the hotel pool area where we [...]
Here is David Morris’ interview with Larry Sparks, shot this past weekend at the DC Bluegrass Festival. As with yesterday’s Frank Solivan video, we are grateful to Eric Tapp for technical assistance.
Here is David Morris’ interview with Frank Solivan at the DC Bluegrass Festival this past weekend.
Junior Williams, banjo player with Newtown and legitimate funny guy, has agreed to send us occasional iPhone videos. Here he is with John Cowan, who is doing some touring with his own band during a break in his schedule with The Doobie Brothers.
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