This is an update of a previous interview for the California Bluegrass Association Bluegrass Breakdown where I had the opportunity to chat with Karen Celia Heil, the versatile, passionate (and very busy) San Francisco-based American old-time fiddler and guitarist. Hello Karen,
Bill Knopf is a prolific banjo virtuoso, former UCLA drum major, and music instructor from the LA area who has been playing since before most readers were born. He was active in the early '60s playing in his own bands
Fourth-generation, award winning fiddler/multi-instrumentalist Johnny Campbell is a tried-and-true bluegrass traditionalist. Originally from Nashville, he has made his way to and from California several times while playing with San Francisco’s Windy Hill. He and his wife, Whitney Campbell, hold down
Recent California Bluegrass Association Lifetime Member and Laurie Lewis right hand man, Tom Rozum, discusses his album, playing with Laurie, personal challenges, life in the California music scene, and much more. Playing multiple instruments, Tom is the perfect complement to Laurie's
While looking for biographical info on Southern California mandolin player Nina Weisman, I ran across this from the Family Fiddle Camp, where she’s an instructor, and figured I could do no better than this. “Nina Weisman is a fixture in the
Outgoing CBA President Darby Brandli and new President Theresa Behr Gooding It was good catching up recently with incoming CBA President Theresa Behr Gooding, and getting a status of what’s going on. Hi Theresa, how are you and your family doing, and how
Mike Marshall needs no introduction to bluegrass fans. In addition to his jaw-dropping virtuosity and collaborations with Darol Anger, David Grisman, and many more, he is an avid teacher as his many students on ArtistWorks will attest. Recently, to do
We recently got word that that Volume #1 of the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, produced by accomplished Nashville-based fiddler Matt Combs and John’s daughter Katie Harford, is available in vinyl and CD from the John Hartford website. The project is
Yoseff Tucker hit the San Francisco bluegrass scene from the California Central Valley with a bang several years back. He’s won multiple Northern California Bluegrass Society awards for guitar and vocals, and his sound reflects his family’s Central Valley Oklahoma
While at Wintergrass we attended the obligatory hospitality suites from bluegrass organizations such as Oregon, Washington, and Montana. We also visited a suite hosted by the new nonprofit organization, Western Canada Bluegrass Association (WCBA). The suites, of course, are known
