• Frank Wakefield back home after hospital stay

    Mandolin virtuoso Frank Wakefield was hospitalized recently after being diagnosed with a combination of acute influenza and acute pneumonia. The lifelong bluegrass performer is approaching his 85th birthday in June. He was well enough to be discharged on Friday, April 26

  • Two new mandolin projects from Patuxent

    Patuxent Records, based in Rockville, MD, has two new releases celebrating bluegrass mandolin. One involves teaming up a veteran stylist with a newcomer, and the other an exercise of label owner perogative. Frank Wakefield has long been an artist who goes

  • Red Spurlock diagnosed with cancer

    Veteran Fairborn, Ohio, bluegrass musician Red Spurlock has been diagnosed with oral cancer. A Kentucky-born banjo player, Spurlock started out in late in 1951 playing with Red Allen in Dayton area bars, including the Miami Bar and the Friendly Inn, later

  • Frank Wakefield back home

    Mandolin icon Frank Wakefield is home from the hospital, and recovering nicely from lung surgery. He was released Tuesday after having been hospitalized this past two weeks, much of it in the ICU. Frank underwent surgery on June 12 to remove

  • Frank Wakefield update

    Some very encouraging news regarding Frank Wakefield and his recent surgery... He remains in the ICU, but is doing well after surgery and re-inflating his right lung. It is expected that Frank can be moved from intensive care in the next

  • Frank Wakefield hospitalized

    We have learned that mandolin legend Frank Wakefield is in the hospital. He underwent surgery on his right lung earlier today. It is expected that he will remain hospitalized for a week or more. We will post more details as we can

  • Frank Wakefield Tribute To Bill Monroe

    Frank Wakefield spent a lot of time Saturday night telling people how lousy he is. “I’m the world’s worst mandolin player,” he told a full house in Garrett Park, Md. “If you don’t believe it, just ask me.” Later, after the

  • Two new CDs from Patuxent Music

    Patuxent Music has two new releases to announce this month, both of them challenging my perception of the label. Over the past few months, their new projects had featured some of the most promising young bluegrass and old time artists in