One might say that becoming a bluegrass virtuoso was simply written in the stars for Buddy Merriam, a mandolinist originally from Hartford, Connecticut. Although he had played guitar since childhood, he became interested in the mandolin after seeing Frank Wakefield
With seven national recordings to her credit, Lorraine Jordan is back at it again with Carolina Road’s second Rural Rhythm release, Back to My Roots. Formed in 1998, the group remains very active on the bluegrass circuit, averaging 60 festivals
In today’s world of bluegrass, many musicians find it difficult to keep a band together for even a short period of time. However, there are a few who seem to have endured changes in personnel and within the genre, and
Having recorded and toured together since 1975, the North Carolina-based band The Crowe Brothers have released several projects in many band configurations, including albums with Raymond Fairchild and David McLaughlin. However, their latest effort, Bridging The Gap, which sits somewhere
In order to write and perform music featuring Appalachian subjects, one does not have to have a rural heritage, as proven by the members of Massachusetts-based band Three Tall Pines. Their latest release, All That’s Left, relies heavily on images
Besides being a regular correspondent for Bluegrass Today and a West Coast Bluegrass Ambassador, David Thom is also a performing artist who has released yet another fine album, That Old Familiar, on Swollen Records. Recorded at Lewietoons Studio in Berkeley, CA,
Proving that contemporary tunes sound great when played in a traditional style, the new release from central Virginia’s Shenandoah Drive is rock solid. Their album Old Dirt Road, a collection of twelve tunes both old and new, was recorded at
Having formed after four college friends got together and began playing bluegrass around Radford, VA, the Harwell Grice Band has graced stages from Maryland to Darlington, SC performing their Americana-tinged music over the past five years. Their latest project on
Since beginning to perform around 1947, Leon Morris has graced many stages throughout the United States and Canada, and with his latest release on Patuxent Music, Thinking Today of My Home, there is little reason to think that he’s going
Writing award-winning song lyrics instead of introspective books isn’t quite what a student might expect from their college philosophy professor. However, if you were enrolled in one of Gene Mills’s courses at Virginia Commonwealth University, you’d probably be surprised to
