Who doesn’t love a calendar, especially a bluegrass one? Well, for those who do love a bluegrass calendar, KALW, the listener-supported public radio station in San Francisco, California, and home of Bluegrass Signal for the past 24 years, has produced its
The classic banjo tune, Foggy Mountain Breakdown, has enchanted banjo players and bluegrass music audiences since it was first performed by its composer, the incomparable Earl Scruggs, about 70 years ago. The breakneck banjo tune that has become a song for the
Earl Scruggs and his banjo playing prowess has been the subject of intense delight, interest, and discussion ever since he stepped onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with Bill Monroe in late 1945. All of which has generated a
German banjo icon, Rüdger Helbig, has released another instruction book. This time it's a volume on open tunings and music theory called Offene Stimmungen und Akkorde für 5-String Banjo. Though all the text is in German, Rüdi feels that any banjo
Mel Bay Publications in Missouri has released a new ebook that should be of interest to serious banjo players and students. Classical Masterpieces for Banjo offers excerpts of eight major classical works, and transcribes them for banjo in tablature. It's not
John Duffey is one of the biggest characters in the 70-year history of bluegrass music, larger than life; physically imposing with a voice that covers the whole range required for the four standard vocal parts, and a style of mandolin
Are you one of those millions of music lovers who frequently hear the phrase Americana, and aren't entirely sure what the genre description entails? Perhaps you've been confused by seeing an artist you enjoy labeled as Americana, and then finding
Great news for lovers, players, and builders of fine, handmade acoustic guitars! GuitarBench Magazine is back after a hiatus of nearly three years. Initially an online quarterly publication, the magazine launched a bit ahead of the current revolution in web publishing,
When celebrated singer, songwriter, and storyteller Grant Maloy Smith published his children's book earlier this year, he recognized that its story simply cried out for a song. So he wrote one, and since his target audience was young readers, he
Rowman & Littlefield publishers have announced a February release for Leftover Salmon: Thirty Years of Festival, by Tim Newby. It will tell the three decade story of the band, who have pushed hard against the boundaries of bluegrass from the
