• Aaron Tippin at work on a bluegrass CD

    The more, the merrier! That's my personal reaction each time there is news of another mainstream pop or country artist who dips a toe into the bluegrass realm. Some, like Merle Haggard, come to bluegrass as an artistic exercise late

  • Chord charts on your cell phone

    How convenient would it be to have a chord chart, metronome and pitch pipe available on your mobile phone? If the answer is, "quite, thank you very much," you'll be interested in Chord Genie, a cell phone application from British

  • Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper Bear Family release

    Here's another post from our all-the-more regular contributor, Richard Thompson. He writes from England, where he is also a longstanding contributor to British Bluegrass News, a quarterly print publication where he also briefly served as editor. Have you heard the rumours?

  • Crooked Still – What’s in a name?

    This morning I noticed a recent post on the Japanese bluegrass blog, run by mandolin player Kasninoyh (Nino), about Crooked Still's newest CD Shaken by a Low Sound. Nino wrote a very thorough review of the disc for his Japanese readers,

  • Andy Ruff to Wildfire

    Wildfire has announced that they have brought Andy Ruff into the group playing resonator guitar and singing both lead and harmony vocals. Andy has spent the past few years as a member of Karl Shifflet & The Big Country Show,

  • Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy 2007

    March 1, 2007 is the last date to take advantage of the early registration discount for the 2007 Smoky Mountain Banjo Academy. The event, held each spring near Gatlinburg, TN (hosted by Jack Hatfield), is scheduled this year from April

  • Fiddle instruction from Mike Hartgrove

    Veteran fiddler Mike Hartgrove called yesterday to let us know that he will be leaving Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver as of March 17, 2007. His future plans include pursuing a career teaching fiddle full time. Mike said he has been teaching

  • Ray Deaton leaving IIIrd Tyme Out

    And the band news just keeps swirling... We just got a note from Russell Moore of IIIrd Tyme Out with the news that Ray Deaton, original member, bass player and singer - and primary booking agent for the band - will

  • Terry Baucom focuses on the banjo

    I just got a call from Cindy Baucom, asking me to share with you, our readers, some exciting news about the Duke of Drive himself, Terry Baucom. Terry has just announced his resignation from Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, effective March 17,