Banjo player Simon Mitchinson has launched a new web site offering free backing tracks for bluegrass musicians who need a resource for practicing their instruments. At present he has 72 jam favorites posted, mostly banjo and fiddle tunes, in a variety
Author: John Lawless
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Ralph Peer and the Making of Popular Roots Music
Students of bluegrass, country and old time music are generally agreed that the Bristol Sessions in 1927 served as the Big Bang of hillbilly music, the spark that ignited the popularity of what we now call the traditional mountain sound.
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Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley in January ’15
Compass Records has announced January 13, 2015 as the release date for Before The Sun Goes Down, the upcoming CD from Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley. It's a fun album, that mixes hard driving bluegrass with classic country based around Trey's
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Gold Heart still going strong
When I ran into the Gold sisters at World of Bluegrass last month, I mentioned that I hadn't seen much from their group, Gold Heart, in a while. But they had been out there touring, and said that they had just
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More changes within the IBMA Board
The IBMA Board of Directors will have some extra work on their hands coming up. On Friday (10/31), Craig Ferguson, the Director of Planet Bluegrass, which produces the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival and RockyGrass in Colorado, resigned his position as Vice Chair
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Stuart Duncan live at the HOF
This weekend, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville will honor Stuart Duncan with a special presentation as a part of their Nashville Cats series. These events are held quarterly to recognize Music City residents for their
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For The Sake of the Sound video from Front Country
Front Country has a new music video which shows why this young group has been gobbling up critical acclaim all across the bluegrass world. It features a live (in the country) version of the title track from their latest CD, For The Sake
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The Day The Banjo Dies from Roni Stoneman
Roni Stoneman has released a single from her upcoming bluegrass album, which answers the autobiographical question, "Have you ever thought about retiring?" Written by her long time guitarist, Ronnie Buff, The Day The Banjo Dies makes it plenty clear that Roni
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Talking Newtown with Kati and Jr.
Earlier this month we caught up with Jr. Williams and Kati Penn Williams of NewTown to talk about their current album, Time Machine, their new baby, and being an official showcase artist during World of Bluegrass.
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Fiddle Tunes on Jazz Changes
Matt Glaser has been an important figure in the world of bluegrass and old time fiddle since the 1970s. At that time, he was part of the experimental string music scene in New York and New England, recording with fellow