Author: Dave Berry

Sam Bush at the 2022 Siesta Valley Strings & Things Festival - photo by Mary Ann Goldstein A new single-day Siesta Valley Strings & Things festival, put on by Paper Moon Presents, took place Sunday, July 31 featuring Sam Bush alongside a

Jody Richardson and Robert Earl Davis This is an update to a California Bluegrass Association (CBA) Breakdown interview from 2015. Jody Richardson, is no stranger to San Francisco bluegrass and old-time audiences. She's played fiddle in two stellar San Francisco bands—the

Mike Compton leads a mandolin workshop at the 2022 CBA Music Camp The California Bluegrass Association Music Camp that immediately proceeds the Fathers Day Festival calls Wednesday transition day, which is a very applicable theme for life and this short column.

John Reischman - photo by Snap Jackson Grammy winner, mandolinist, composer, and instructor John Reischman has way too many credentials to be listed here. His bio tells the story of a musician's musician and master of many styles, yet his sound

California Bluegrass Association member Ida Winfree is a former CBA Youth Ambassador. She plays mandolin and guitar in two bands—North Country Blue and West 45. She's currently based in the California Central Valley town of Turlock, and when not playing

Tom Bekeny is another in a pretty deep bench of great Bay Area mandolin players, most of whom aren't as well known as they should be. Tom, an instructor, plays mandolin and fiddle, and is well versed in both jazz

Pete Hicks is a California multi-instrumentalist who plays fiddle and mandolin and sings in bands in and around the Central Coast and Central Valley. He plays old-school traditional styles for bands such as the Central Valley Boys and Bean Creek,

As a follow-up to the Wooks' recent single and video, I chatted with co-founder CJ Cain about their upcoming album release, Flyin' High, dropping February 25 on their website and the usual streaming services. The Wooks have been described as a

Snap Jackson and his band, the Knock on Wood Players, are an award-winning acoustic quartet hailing from Stockton, California. They blend Americana, bluegrass, soul, and old-time music and have been featured on the same bill with notable acts such as

Chad Manning is a Berkeley, California-based fiddler of numerous styles including bluegrass, old-time, and swing. He has played with regional and national acts including David Grisman, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, Peter Rowan, and Bill Evens, and has toured