• Stetson & Cia Pare It Back

    There are a couple of broad hints that suggest listeners are in for something different on the new EP from Stetson Adkisson and Cia Cherryholmes, which is titled Stetson & Cia. The first is a quotation on the CD jacket from

  • Intrepid Jim Hurst Flies Solo

    When I met Jim Hurst for the first time last summer, I was almost surprised to discover he has just two hands. He sure plays guitar like he has a couple of extras, using a blend of flat picking and

  • Herschel Sizemore tribute

    In a long day of great music and great moments at Sunday’s benefit concert in Roanoke for Herschel and Joyce Sizemore, two backstage discussions captured the spirit of the man being feted and the music community that supported the event. One

  • IBMA at the Crossroads

    Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of occasional articles about the future of IBMA. This story contains many more numbers than the one-four-five usually associated with bluegrass, and a more serious approach than we usually take at

  • Introducing the Clay Hess Band

    Clay Hess has his new band in place and is booking shows for the upcoming festival season. Clay handled lead guitar duties for Sierra Hull and Highway 111 until last month. Joining him to tour in support of his solo album,

  • The Education of Bryan McDowell

    Like any good student, Bryan McDowell worked hard on his lessons before Monday’s big test. And like many of the best and brightest, as soon as it was over he lamented that he should have done better. “I studied hard, but

  • Too Blue’s Trouble With The Grey

    Eric Gibson calls Too Blue’s work “music for grown-ups,” and it’s easy to see why on the New York band’s second CD, Trouble With The Grey. This is part jazz – think big-band swing and the Andrews Sisters – part Patsy

  • New Honors for Eddie Adcock and Tom Gray

    Bassist Tom Gray and banjo picker Eddie Adcock, who have long careers in bluegrass since their trailblazing days with the Country Gentlemen in the 1960s are this year’s winners of the Washington Monument Award from the D.C. Bluegrass Union. They’ll pick

  • R.I.P Kelley Gibson

    Our condolences to Eric and Leigh Gibson and their families following the death of their father on Saturday. Unless you lived near him in upstate New York, you probably didn’t know Kelley J. Gibson. But if you’re a fan of the