banjo

A big package arrived recently from Mel Bay Publications, chock full of new instructional books that may hold some interest for pickers who read Bluegrass Today. Some are aimed at new players, or those with modest skills, while others will

Deering Banjos has published a lengthy interview with Scott Avett, of the notorious Avett Brothers. I say notorious because discussions about the band can become quite heated in bluegrass circles, especially where the "that's not bluegrass!" crowd is concerned. From the

Noted North Carolina banjo picker and celebrated luthier Snuffy Smith has passed away. Professional banjo players, serious amateurs and banjo aficionados of every stripe had long trusted Snuffy for all sorts of set up and repair. Many more who never met

Lee Marcus is the fine young banjo player with Wayne Taylor & Appaloosa, and starting a few weeks ago, an occasional correspondent for Bluegrass Today. He also has a solo project available, Grandpa's Pond, released in 2011, which he is using

Banjo master Jim Mills is the subject of a short documentary piece produced by UNC-TV, the public television service at the University of North Carolina. The video starts with a musical biography on Mills, covering his early discovery of the banjo

Abigail Washburn spent November and December of 2011 in China, touring along the ancient Silk Road which once served as a trade route between China and the West. The tour was in the form of a cultural exchange, funded by

Washburn introduced a new open-back banjo, the B-7, at last week's NAMM show in California. The pot consists of a cast aluminum shell, with 18 tension brackets. A full-scale mahogany neck with dot inlays in the rosewood board, and to-the-side tuners

Jim Gabehart is journaling his time at the Pete Wernick Dr. Banjo Advanced Banjo Camp this week. After the excitement of our concert night, the morning of our last day began quietly, with discussion and reflection on the prior night's performance. Travel schedules

Jim Gabehart is journaling his time at the Pete Wernick Dr. Banjo Advanced Banjo Camp this week. After a morning touching on several subjects, including tuning, use of capos, movable chords and chord substitutions, most of the day was spent in preparation for

Jim Gabehart is journaling his time at the Pete Wernick Dr. Banjo Advanced Banjo Camp this week. We had another half-day session yesterday, starting at 9:15 a.m. and going to 1:30 p.m., leaving a nice opportunity to go sightseeing. Although there are many