For some reason, some of my most popular columns have been on the subject of bluegrass haiku. It may be because of the close affinity between the Japanese and bluegrass music. So, in honor of the upcoming IBMA World of
Author: Chris Jones
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Practical tips for a less stressful World of Bluegrass
Every November we’re bombarded with practical advice on how to plan ahead for the Christmas season. This includes how to get shopping done in an organized and timely manner, how to stay within your budget, and other timeworn topics. Sometimes,
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Mr. Bluegrass Manners #1
Welcome to what I hope will be a semi-regular (better make that “irregular”) feature here. Based on some of the well-known etiquette-oriented advice columns of the past, like “Dear Abby” and “Miss Manners,” I will periodically wear the hat (High
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A look back at Chris’ bluegrass dream analysis
Greetings from the road! Just as a personal challenge, and because my agent doesn’t own a map of North America, we’ve decided to go from the far southwest corner of the United States, almost to Baja California, to the far
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Sneak peek at World of Bluegrass seminar list
The IBMA has arrived at its final slate of seminars for the World of Bluegrass this year, and though it hasn’t yet been released to the public, I have been able to obtain an advance copy. I guess I should
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Bluegrass analogy… inference… comparison… similitude
Last week I delved into the bluegrass analogy, which when used properly (adhering strictly to state and local guidelines on bluegrass analogy use), can be used as a method of explaining various things to bluegrass musicians and fans who might
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In which we explain Brexit, the Mooch, and the infield fly rule
I recently had the pleasure of teaching the bluegrass vocals class at the Augusta Heritage Center’s Bluegrass Week with a great singer, teacher, and long-time friend Dede Wyland. One morning, over a better-than-expected camp breakfast (I believe I opted for
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The psychology of fast food choices
Greetings from the Augusta Heritage Center’s Bluegrass Week in Elkins, WV. Music camps are usually tons of fun for both instructors and students alike, but they usually don’t afford a lot of time for writing (sleeping is also rare, and
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I’ll bet you don’t remember me
I want to describe a scene at a typical bluegrass concert or festival that will probably be familiar to both artist and fan, and it may cause each to shudder just a little: A fan walks up to a performer while
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Bluegrass music’s most innovative and promising new products of 2017
From time to time, people from the Luthiers and Merchandisers constituency of the IBMA (unless I’m thinking of the Groupies and Stalkers constituency) ask me to test and review some of the new bluegrass-related products that have come out in