Author: John Curtis Goad

I have to admit, I don’t keep up with the international bluegrass scene as much as I should. However, thanks to Bluegrass Today, I’ve had the opportunity to review quite a few strong albums from groups based outside of the

The group known as Finnders & Youngberg not only has a new album out, but also a new name. On Eat the Moon, their recent release from Swing Fingers Records, the group labels themselves as FY5, a name that perhaps

Need one last Christmas present or stocking stuffer for the mandolin player in your life? Consider Scott Napier’s recently released instructional DVD, Mandolin Originals with Scott Napier. Napier, the longtime mandolin player for the Lost and Found and one of the

After three decades spent playing with regionally-based artists, and stints with the Little Roy and Lizzy Show and the Clinton Gregory Band, Georgia-based mandolin player Doug Flowers has recently released Doug Flowers and Friends, filled with a number of his

When you think “Del McCoury’s banjo player,” your mind probably automatically goes to Del’s son, 2015 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year Rob McCoury. However, before there was a Del McCoury Band, there was Del McCoury & the Dixie Pals.

Along the softer edges of bluegrass, where smooth contemporary melodies merge with a folkier, singer-songwriter sensibility, lies Oregon-based band True North. The group’s music is largely gentle and contemplative, guided by the lyrics and lead vocals of Kristen Grainger, an

The Vickie Vaughn Band has been making the bluegrass rounds over the past few years, racking up appearances at the Station Inn, Music City Roots, and the World of Bluegrass, securing a nomination for an IBMA Momentum Award, and serving

Train songs are a staple of bluegrass and other forms of traditional American music. From John Henry to In the Pines, from Orange Blossom Special to Blue Railroad Train, you can seldom attend a bluegrass show without hearing at least

In the ever-present debate on tradition vs. innovation in bluegrass music, I feel that the value of consistency is sometimes overlooked. It seems like bands are always seeking to change up their sound from one album to the next –

If you ever want to fire up a room full of bluegrass fans, just ask them to define traditional bluegrass. Some will define it as the original 1945-46 Blue Grass Boys. Some will expand it to include a few second