Anyone who knows her realizes that Kristin Scott Benson is a musician of the highest caliber, as her multiple IBMA Banjo Player of the Year awards can attest, but also that she is among the most thoughtful and intelligent people
Opinion / Humor
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Ask Sonny Anything… three versions of Earl
Sonny is again unable to respond to questions this week, so we are re-running another of his most popular columns. Let's hope he is back at it next week. Sonny, I read your column weekly, and one thing is obvious; you are the
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From The Side of the Road… eh, whatever
Leadership Bluegrass is an IBMA-related program which has been going strong since the year 2000. Its stated purpose, according to IBMA's web site, is "to pull together a cross section of people with exhibited or potential leadership qualities into a
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An appeal to the IBMA concerning World of Bluegrass vaccination rule
Coming up with rules for holding in-person events in the era of COVID isn't easy, and no matter what organizers settle on, there is no way to please everyone. IBMAs board of directors certainly learned that in the wake of its
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Ask Sonny Anything… who was Krako?
Sonny was not able to answer new questions this week, so we are running a classic edition of his column. We hope to have a new set of responses from him next Friday. Sonny, years ago you said that there was
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From The Side of the Road… step right up for the annual column quiz
In case you need to take your mind off of current events, and the inevitable rancorous arguments that accompany them, it might be good to apply your mind to a pop quiz. Think of this as bluegrass sudoku, even though it’s
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Ask Sonny Anything… tell us about singing with Ira Louvin
Sonny, I'm curious about that session when Ira Louvin sang the low tenor part (is that right?) with you and Bobby on Give This Message to Your Heart. I think it was your fifth session for Decca. Pardon me if you've
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From The Side of the Road… is synecdoche really a word?
I was recently sent a press release about a song that claimed it's the "Hotel California of bluegrass" (because you can never leave?), and it got me thinking about these kinds of comparisons: "The American Pie of Bluegrass," "The Mick
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Ask Sonny Anything… what do you think about country singers doing bluegrass?
Sonny, I always liked your baritone singing a whole lot. I know you started on banjo early on. When did you become interested in singing, and do you remember the first recording you sang on? Also, what were the banjos you
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From The Side of the Road… five heads are better than one
Chris Jones has been unexpectedly detained at the Canadian border, so we are running this pre-pandemic column at his direction. It's Charlie Sizemore's favorite! Co-writing is definitely the mode of Music Row. We have a great co-writing tradition in bluegrass music,