Opinion / Humor

Especially on the centennial of Bill Monroe's birth, it is important to reflect on the origins of the music we all love. And in light of the heated discussions of progressive versus traditional - and "What is or isn't bluegrass?"

After having made plans to spend last week at IBMA showcasing, exhibiting, reporting for Bluegrass Today, and otherwise immersing ourselves in the World of Bluegrass, I received a court order setting a hearing for Thursday morning in a case involving over seven

As if I wasn’t conflicted already, Laurie Lewis had to fan the flames. The face of the Bill Monroe stared down from the huge banner that adorned the stage. Preparing to announce the Dobro Player of the year award, she

Have you ever thought of someone you know as a “bluegrass know-it-all?” Has anyone ever accused you of the same? Or worse, has anyone ever suggested to you that you know nothing about bluegrass music? I can say from personal experience that,

Ask Mr. Blue Grass Smarty Pants will appear at odd times in the Blue Yodel column. Please send questions and comments to chris@chrisstuart.com for possible use. Dear Mr. Blue Grass Smarty Pants, When was the Blue Grass music discovered and what was it doing

Dear IBMA, Please stop asking the most accomplished artists in our business to read corny lines from a teleprompter, or to engage in cringe-inducing banter for the sake of a light-hearted awards show. Last night's production made Hee-Haw look like high art. Nashville is

A few impressions of Thursday night's IBMA awards, in no particular order: The folks at IBMA put on another nice evening, and Sam Bush was his usual likable self as host. But no one will ever change the fact that all

Aaron will be a regular columnist at Bluegrass Today, and his initial offering is particularly germane to the hot topic at this year's World Of Bluegrass. I came to love bluegrass music on the night of November, 7, 1997 on what

Since this is the first edition of this column, I thought I’d take up just a few lines telling you what to expect in future submissions. First, the disclaimer: the opinions expressed here will not necessarily be those of the

Pete Wernick, the estimable Dr. Banjo, has sent along a three-part report compiled during his attendance at last week's Bill Monroe Centennial Celebration in Owensboro, KY. They were adapted from comments he posted to the internal IBMA email discussion list. This