Even 20 years ago, the notion of a band from another country specializing in bluegrass was somewhat startling. Back then, one group in particular pioneered the idea that bluegrass could be a universal language, and the fact that that group
Bluegrass Today Profiles
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On This Day #53 – Bill Emerson turns 80
On this day ….. On January 22, 1938, Bill Emerson was born in Washington D.C., from where he went on to be one of the most important banjo players in bluegrass music history. William Hundley "Bill" Emerson, Jr. was influenced towards becoming
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Bluegrass 45 – 50 Years On
“More than a band, these six friends from Kobe, Japan, have shared 50 years of friendship, musicianship, and a passion for music that has promoted and championed bluegrass as a culture, genre, and lifestyle all over the world.” So says
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders – We Banjo 3 Traces their Roots from Ireland to America
Welcome to a brand new column, Bluegrass Beyond Borders, a twice-monthly feature that explores music made beyond our shores by artists that hold a particular penchant for Americana. In a way, there’s a certain amount of irony implied in that premise.
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Having a Coffee with…… Larry Stephenson
This is fun series in which we ask bluegrass music personalities, some famous, some not so famous, about some of their interests as well as about the music that they love. Larry Stephenson is instantly recognizable for his crystal-clear tenor
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My new love for the banjo thanks to Dick Smith
Changes don’t always happen quickly; normally it’s a slow progress from one state to another. Before today I had no appreciation for the great sounds that can come from a well-tuned banjo. I’ve long loved the part they play in
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Q&A with Katy Daley – Missy Raines
Last month, I was taken by a photo on Missy Raines' Facebook page showing her playing bass onstage at the Birchmere while John Duffey leaned in and chopped mandolin. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but a
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It was a good year for Alice Gerrard
2017 has been an excellent year for Alice Gerrard. The most significant aspect is her induction in Raleigh, North Carolina, with the late Hazel Dickens into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Hazel and Alice were a pioneering female duo
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Bobby Patterson remembered
Well known musician and music historian Bobby Patterson of the Galax, Virginia, area passed away on September 24, 2017. He experienced kidney failure, having been given new a kidney in 2010. Bobby Frank Patterson was born on April 1, 1942, in
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Free Willy Band, or how I went from railcars to bluegrass
Bill Jones doesn't fit the profile of a bluegrass entertainer. The singer/songwriter living now in Crockett, TX works by day as a railcar repair facility plant manager, and he rediscovered the allure of the bluegrass way through the jamming scene