This week we are going to once again remember the life and times of America’s Blue Yodeler, the Singing Brakeman, and the Father of Country Music: the late, great Jimmie Rodgers. On Sunday, May 26, Jimmie Rodgers will have been gone 80 years. Arguably the [...]
A Bluegrass Junction listener—we’ll call her “Laura” (because that was her name)—emailed me recently, pointing out that there are an awful lot of bluegrass songs in which women are murdered. After much thought and reflection, I gave her this subtly nuanced answer: “Yes.” I’ve never [...]
The legendary WSM AM 650 in Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry since 1925, has assembled a compilation album of live performances broadcast on the station over the last few years. Live From The Archives, Vol. 1 is set for a June 25 release. [...]
A pair of bluegrass acts on opposite ends of the stardom spectrum have announced new representation this week. Dailey & Vincent can plainly be described as superstars in bluegrass music, with album sales, awards, and touring success to back it up. Sleepy Man Banjo Boys [...]
Frank Baker has once again shot for us at the 2013 Spring Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Here is a gallery of his photos from Thursday, May 16.
A pair of bluegrass acts on opposite ends of the stardom spectrum have announced new representation this week. Dailey & Vincent can plainly be described as superstars in bluegrass music, with album sales, awards, and touring success to back it up. Sleepy Man Banjo Boys [...]
I Saw The Light is the name of the first single from The Clay Hess Band’s upcoming debut CD. And no, it’s not another cover of the Hank Williams classic. It’s a new song from Craig Market and Wayne Winkle, in which the narrator has [...]
Mountain Fever has a new single today from an upcoming album by IIIrd Tyme Out bassist/vocalist Edgar Loudermilk. Edgar will remain a big part of IIIrd Tyme Out’s success, and records side projects to highlight his lead singing and songwriting prowess. Each of the tracks [...]
When we reported last week that Randy Barnes was taking over on bass with Marty Raybon, we wondered what had become of Jayd Raines, who had just joined the band earlier this year. We caught up with him over the weekend, and discovered that he [...]
Mark Houser is releasing a new single to radio on Tuesday. It’s the title track to his 2012 Rural Rhythm album, Uneven Road, which we reviewed earlier this year. This appealing singer and songwriter is supported here by A-list pickers. Cory Walker played banjo, Barry [...]
This week we are going to once again remember the life and times of America’s Blue Yodeler, the Singing Brakeman, and the Father of Country Music: the late, great Jimmie Rodgers. On Sunday, May 26, Jimmie Rodgers will have been gone 80 years. Arguably the [...]
This week we are going to once again remember the life and times of America’s Blue Yodeler, the Singing Brakeman, and the Father of Country Music: the late, great Jimmie Rodgers. On Saturday, May 26, Jimmie Rodgers will have been gone 80 years. Arguably the [...]
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 legendary WSM AM 650 in Nashville, home of the Grand Ole Opry since 1925, has assembled a compilation album of live performances broadcast on the station over the last few years. Live From The Archives, Vol. 1 is set for a June 25 release. [...]
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 [...]
Frank Baker has once again shot for us at the 2013 Spring Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Here is a gallery of his photos from Thursday, May 16.
This report on The Gibson Brothers in Old Forge, NY is our first from Andy Flynn, assistant managing editor of Denton Publications. We hope to receive more from him going forward. The Gibson Brothers are maintaining world-class caliber performances this spring while promoting their newest album [...]
Mike Kelly was kind enough to send a few of the photos he shot on Saturday when the Bluegrass Album Band and some loyal fans braved the rain for a reunion show at the Bloomin’ Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival. The weather was wet and drizzly [...]
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 [...]
A Bluegrass Junction listener—we’ll call her “Laura” (because that was her name)—emailed me recently, pointing out that there are an awful lot of bluegrass songs in which women are murdered. After much thought and reflection, I gave her this subtly nuanced answer: “Yes.” I’ve never [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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 [...]
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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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