Reviews

  • 2019 Fly In Festival report

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    I have been attending Bluegrass Festivals since the early seventies both as a band member and a spectator. When my friend Tim Corbett invited me to the Fly In Festival 2019, the fourth one, I decided to invite my friend Melinda

  • Somewhere Far Away – Blue Highway

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    All too often, critics, pundits and the public as a whole seem intent on defining music by genre, opting for generalization simply for the sake of confining certain sounds to a comfortable niche. That, of course, isn’t only unfair, but

  • Roots To Rise Live – We Banjo 3

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    Ireland’s exceptional We Banjo 3 have carved out a unique niche for themselves, courtesy of the fusion of styles they fondly refer to as “Celtgrass,” an astute combination of bluegrass, Celtic music, folk sounds, and both new and old world

  • Notes From Gettysburg, August 2019

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    It’s no secret to regular readers that the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival is one of my two favorite stops of the year, the other being IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh every fall. The festival is just an hour from home, features

  • The Butcher Shoppe – Della Mae

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    It would be understandable if the uninitiated mistakenly mistook Della Mae for a sister ensemble. Their close-knit harmonies and astute arrangements have a cohesion and confidence that ensures a compact fit and an air of authenticity that recalls an old

  • Blissfield Bluegrass on the River 2019

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    Blissfield Bluegrass on the River is a small, community sponsored, free one day event that has been held for the past nine years. The Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association has organized and presented the festival for the past three years.

  • 2019 Mandolin Farms report

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    Two weeks ago, my wife Missy and I made our way to beautiful Flemingsburg, Kentucky for the Mandolin Farms C.A.M. Fest, presented by our good friend Vic Adams and his family. The name C.A.M comes from young family member, Colt

  • Leylines – Rising Appalachia

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    Don’t be misled. Their name may conjure up images of a certain homespun sensibility, but in fact, Rising Appalachia creates a sound with a far more worldly view. Sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, the core of the outfit, are experienced