banjo

Dear Sonny, Did you ever cross paths with Don Stover? And if so, what did you make of his banjo style? I'm a New England guy, and Don and the Lilly Brothers meant a lot to us during many years they

Jake Abrams, long time banjo player and bluegrass artist in Alabama and Louisiana, died on October 3 from complications of the COVID-19 virus. He was 58 years of age. A native of Tuscaloosa, Jake was living in Lake Charles, LA at

Steve Martin, Don Vappie, and Alan Munde - Vappie photo by Brad Edelman; Munde photo by Tom Dunning Today the winners of the 2021 Steve Martin Banjo Prize have been announced by Martin, and the Board of Directors of the Prize. This

Sonny LOVE THIS COLUMN! Please give us your thoughts on the 5-string dobro. My best wishes for your health. MC Hey M.C., thank you for participating in our free-for-all. The instrument you are referring to is the dojo. It’s an instrument I started

Ken Seaman, an integral part of the bluegrass community in Colorado died on Thursday, September 23. He passed quietly in his sleep, and was 79 years of age. Ken had been a founding member of The Bluegrass Patriots, who entertained bluegrass

Bobby, my dear brother and partner of 52 years... I'm so happy for you because I see you are #1 on the Bluegrass Today playlist chart this week. White Line Fever was a good choice. I didn't hardly agree with the

Paul Sgroi, Jason Shaw, and Holten Doucette - winners at the 2021 National Flat-Picking Championship After being unable to host their 2020 competitions, the Walnut Valley Festival held its National Flat-Picking Championships this past weekend in Winfield, KS. Though named for

Most everyone who has studied bluegrass banjo will say that one of the most demanding aspects of mastering the style is learning the many ways to back up a vocalist or another instrumentalist in a band setting. Earl Scruggs, of

Losing track of your picks can be maddening when the urge to play or practice hits, especially for new banjo or guitar pickers who haven't developed routines to manage them. And if you have cats in your house, forget about

North Carolina-based bluegrass Gospel group and Mountain Fever recording artists, The Gospel Plowboys, have acquired a new banjo picker, Peden Williams of Concord, NC. The 23-year-old is replacing Plowboys' banjoist, Charles Honeycutt, who had to step down from the position