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
banjo
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Anni Beach and Banjam 2021 in Arizona
This article, written by Anni Beach, originally appeared in The Cornerstone, the newsletter of The IBMA Foundation. They have agreed to let us republish it to reach a wider audience. It also helps explain why she was chosen as Mentor
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Béla Fleck and Jamie Barton In Song for San Francisco Opera
Béla Fleck is certainly in the news this week. A few days ago we had the first music from his upcoming all star album, My Bluegrass Heart, and now we can share a video he created with Jamie Barton for
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Track Premiere: Strasbourg / St. Denis from Tray Wellington
Mountain Home Music has dropped a third single for banjoist Tray Wellington, an ambitious cover of a jazz standard by a five stringer. A good many bluegrass instrumentalists are drawn to jazz sounds, as that genre is where the most fearless
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Ask Sonny Anything… did your wife ever travel with you and Bobby?
Sonny, I've been enjoying your column since it began, and I finally decided to toss in my two cents worth. Last week you said that you played better standing up than you did sitting down. I've noticed the same about my
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Béla Fleck back to grass with My Bluegrass Heart – first listen
Banjo maestro Béla Fleck started his professional music career in bluegrass music, and though he has swept through many other regions of contemporary music over the years - jazz, funk, classical, and world music among them - at heart, he
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Charlie Cushman – Banjo Doctor is in
Is your five-string ailing? If so, contact the doctor. Charlie Cushman, banjoist with the Earls of Leicester and an Earl Scruggs devotee, is a top-notch banjo set-up man as well. Working out of his north Tennessee home, Cush has a shop
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Ask Sonny Anything… did you play baseball with Bill Monroe?
Terry Herd decided to go to Oregon. He had to cross them Rocky Mountains to get there and I'm wondering if he got Larry Stephenson to drive him out there in his luxury bus and, if so, my hope is
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Two new banjo instructional videos from Ned Luberecki
We have often accused Ned Luberecki of being among the busiest guys in bluegrass. In addition to playing banjo with the Becky Buller Band, he is an on-air radio personality on Bluegrass Junction at SiriusXM, a private banjo instructor, and
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Ask Sonny Anything… could Bill Monroe drive a car?
Hi Sonny, I just watched you and Bobby and Dale Sledd alongside Marty Robbins. The show was called The Drifter, and was filmed in black and white. It was done before Marty had his facial hair. You boys did three songs