Music

Patuxent Music has released an album from noted mandolinist, Akira Otsuka, entitled First Tear. Joining the former Bluegrass 45 mando man are Tony Rice, Kenny Smith, Phil Rosenthal, Chris Stifel, Al Petteway and David Grier on guitar; Rickie Simpkins, Phil Bloch

A big package arrived recently from Mel Bay Publications, chock full of new instructional books that may hold some interest for pickers who read Bluegrass Today. Some are aimed at new players, or those with modest skills, while others will

The Likely Culprits will make their official band debut, Saturday night at the world famous Station Inn, in Nashville, TN. This new group consists of Ashby Frank (mandolin, vocals), Deanie Richardson (fiddle), Melonie Cannon (vocals), Garnet Imes Bowman (vocals), Brandon Bostic

Procrastination alert... this is a piece I've been meaning to write for weeks. Months even. You can mark this down as one of those "power of World of Bluegrass" stories, where it happened that I had to go to Nashville to

We posted about The Tuttles with AJ Lee just a week ago, noting that the band of young pickers had been signed with Roe Entertainment for artist representation. What we didn't know at the time was the fact that this Bay

Rounder has announced April 10 as the release date for Nobody Knows You, the next CD from Steep Canyon Rangers. This will be their first band release since Deep In The Shade in 2010, though they collaborated with Steve Martin

This remembrance of popular Washington, DC radio personality Jerry Gray is a contribution from Bill Foster with the DC Bluegrass Union. Jerry Gray (nee Gerald Ralph Poulsen) passed away on February 2, 2012. Jerry and his wife Kay lived in Hardy, VA

The Carter Brothers never rest... or so it would seem. Fresh off the release of their The Road To Roosky album on Compass, the boys have already tracked another project, again with an Irish/American vibe. Tim Carter, the banjo-playing half of the team

Noted North Carolina banjo picker and celebrated luthier Snuffy Smith has passed away. Professional banjo players, serious amateurs and banjo aficionados of every stripe had long trusted Snuffy for all sorts of set up and repair. Many more who never met

Side projects are becoming more and more common in the bluegrass world. Sometimes it's a solo project from a member of an established band; other times it's an all-star effort involving a bevy of popular artists. But sometimes it's an