In case you need to take your mind off of current events, and the inevitable rancorous arguments that accompany them, it might be good to apply your mind to a pop quiz. Think of this as bluegrass sudoku, even though it’s
Author: Chris Jones
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From The Side of the Road… is synecdoche really a word?
I was recently sent a press release about a song that claimed it's the "Hotel California of bluegrass" (because you can never leave?), and it got me thinking about these kinds of comparisons: "The American Pie of Bluegrass," "The Mick
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From The Side of the Road… five heads are better than one
Chris Jones has been unexpectedly detained at the Canadian border, so we are running this pre-pandemic column at his direction. It's Charlie Sizemore's favorite! Co-writing is definitely the mode of Music Row. We have a great co-writing tradition in bluegrass music,
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From The Side of the Road… concerns about IBMA voting changes
Hello from North Carolina. This week I'm in the studio recording some Christmas songs with the Night Drivers. Between writing charts, and watching A Christmas Carol and Elfto get into the Christmas spirit in late July, I'm a little pressed
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From The Side of the Road… a dumb column sent by my iPhone
Out of necessity, I'm afraid this column is being composed on a less-than-current iPhone (I received no compensation from Apple for saying that, though I thought I could get Samsung to kick in a few bucks). The fact is I
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From The Side of the Road… Mr. Bluegrass Manners back from COVID
Mr. Bluegrass Manners has been away from this column for a while. Since things began opening up in the United States and elsewhere, MBM has seized the opportunity to resume touring the country, attending bluegrass jam sessions, and raising one
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From The Side of the Road… time for another hit bluegrass movie
Not to alarm anyone about the passage of time, but the Coen Brothers movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou came out over 20 years ago. In case you're one of the few fans of bluegrass music who missed it, this
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From The Side of the Road… word police and other conspiracies exposed!
Chris Jones blow the lid off deep conspiracies in bluegrass music, from IBMA to Flatt & Scruggs, in this explosive video.
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From The Side of the Road… and the first noun to be retired is…
Last week, I gave all publicists and artists who write their own bios in third person fair warning that in addition to the annual retirement of some of our most beloved adjectives, this year will mark the first retirement of
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From The Side of the Road… 2021 IBMA adjective removal announcement
Several years ago I wrote a column about the ceremonial retirement of adjectives at the IBMA World of Bluegrass. This is now an annual event, usually scheduled on Tuesday, right before the event producers' craft fair and square dance, and