If there was an IBMA award for blue-collar bluegrass band, Hammertowne would easily win my vote. No fancy outfits, no frills, just straight ahead traditional bluegrass delivered with a high degree of consistency. The latest evidence of Hammertowne’s craftsmanship is found
Pete Kuykendall, circa 1960 - photo courtesy of Bluegrass Unlimited Wednesday morning’s funeral for bluegrass icon Pete Kuykendall was a lot like the songs he wrote: Arranged with precision, filled with some memorable lines, short, and to the point. What wasn’t short
If, for some awful reason, I could only attend one bluegrass festival each year outside of IBMA’s big bash in Raleigh, I would most likely pick one of the twice-a-year extravaganzas at Gettysburg. The music, of course, is terrific, with enough
Here’s an idea that’s long overdue: A writing contest that focuses on instrumental numbers in the bluegrass and old-time traditions. The DC Bluegrass Union opened entries today for the inaugural Mike Auldridge Instrumental Contest, which will go hand-in-hand with the organization’s
A few decidedly subjective thoughts about yesterday’s awards announcement. These sentiments may or may not be shared by anyone else at Bluegrass Today, or maybe even by anyone else in bluegrass today.First and foremost, congratulations to the newest members of
It started as a lark. John Lawless and Brance Gillihan would find themselves talking about politics and the 2004 presidential election during their spare time working on bluegrass music teaching videos for John’s company, AcuTab. Sometimes the conversation drifted to
There’s plenty of fodder for bluegrass fans in Peter Cooper’s entertaining and enlightening book, Johnny’s Cash & Charley’s Pride, which is subtitled Lasting Legends and Untold Adventures in Country Music. Cooper, senior director, producer and writer at the Country Music Hall
Songwriters are often told to write what they know. No surprise, then, that the latest CD from the Gibson Brothers, In The Ground, is packed with songs about the road, the good old days and deep introspection and reflection. Eric and
Bluegrass Country Radio, which kept bluegrass alive in the Washington, D.C., area after WAMU decided to end its bluegrass programming, is losing one of its main outlets in the capital region. As of June 21, Bluegrass Country won’t be found on
If you had stumbled across Trey Alexander nine months ago, chances are he would have been shredding an electric guitar in a manner befitting someone who was named one of the top 10 electric players and was Guitar Player magazine’s
