Reviews

Writing award-winning song lyrics instead of introspective books isn’t quite what a student might expect from their college philosophy professor. However, if you were enrolled in one of Gene Mills’s courses at Virginia Commonwealth University, you’d probably be surprised to

As bands often do, Butch Robins’ Imagicnation began as a mere jam session. The way they came about recording their recent project was even accidental. During regular band rehearsals at Tom Ohmsen’s studio in Salem, VA, they began tracking solely with

For week four of the Album of the Week series, I went a little more modern and snagged an album by one of my favorite new bluegrass groups: NewFound Road. Tim Shelton formed the band around 2002. After having performed with

Bluegrass is alive and well throughout Europe, and much of the music crossing the pond is fresh, energetic and memorable. The latest evidence is found in the sophomore release from Sweden’s Downtown Ramblers, On the Other Side of the City. The

This review of An Evening In The Village: The Music of Béla Bartók is a contribution from David Hollender, Professor at the Berklee College of Music. Hollender teaches individual banjo lessons at Berklee, and leads a number of ensembles. The cover of

One might think that a cabin deep in the Canadian wilderness may be an unusual place for masters of old-time southern music to live and work, but Pharis and Jason Romero prove this idea wrong. Not only does this husband-and-wife

Paying tribute to Bill Monroe with a recording of his songs presents a different challenge than it would for any other musician I can think of. The prime mover behind the creation of bluegrass music, his output forms more of

Scott Holstein was born in Boone County, in the heart of the coalfields of West Virginia, and he has chosen that imagery for the title of his album, Cold Coal Town. His mother and father both played bluegrass Gospel music as far

Sometimes simple is best. But every once in a while, you crave something with a little spice or some frills. I’m stuck with that craving after repeated listenings to Missy Werner’s latest project, Three Kinds of Lonesome. It’s a solid effort

It’s a “Prime Tyme” to be a fan of Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Having been around for twenty plus years, many groups of this caliber would start to slow down. They’ve won nearly every award imaginable in our