• Grady Hockett passes

    Grady Hockett, 81, of Greensboro, NC, passed away January 5. A longtime guitarist, dobroist, banjoist, singer, and songwriter, he was also the proprietor of the Rand Ol' Opry, a live music venue in Liberty, for many years. His love affair with

  • Carl Pagter passes 

    Co-founder of the California Bluegrass Association (CBA), Carl Pagter passed away on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, in Virginia. He was 89 years old. Carl Richard Pagter was born on February 13, 1934, in Baltimore, and helped to form the San

  • Long Gone video from Authentic Unlimited

    Billy Blue Records has a new music video to share today from Authentic Unlimited, their version of Neil Diamond's Long Gone. Authentic Unlimited has been making waves ever since their founding a year ago, made up of three members of the

  • Bill Evans talks Steve Martin Banjo Prize

    Bill Evans - photo by Mike Melnyk Just before Christmas, we had an opportunity to chat with Bill Evans, one of the recipients of the 2022 Steve Martin Banjo Prize, now administered by The Freshgrass Foundation. The prize was initiated by the

  • Jeff Davis passes

    Bluegrass has lost another of its fold. Western North Carolina multi-instrumentalist, Jeff Davis, of Marion, passed away suddenly this weekend at 52. His biggest gig was playing mandolin for Charlie Waller in the Country Gentlemen, but Davis grew up performing

  • Bluegrass 2022 closes out the year with Gold Rush

    Pinecastle Records has released another single from their instrumental tour de force project, Bluegrass 2022, headed up by banjo wizard Scott Vestal. Scott has turned out these records from his studio, Digital Underground, for years, assisted by fellow Nashville super

  • Ian Tyson passes

    Ian Tyson photo © Peter Scoular (used by permission) Celebrated Canadian folk singer and songwriter Ian Tyson has died today at 89 years of age. Though his career was focused on folk music, a number of Tyson's songs have been memorably recorded