Chris Jones

  • Songs to skip at your next gig

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    I’ve mentioned this before, but I have a theory that a sizable chunk of modern bluegrass fans aren’t listening to the lyrics of any of the songs. I’ve even tested this theory out on more than one occasion: once, when

  • Laurie video from Chris Jones

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    In case you haven't had a sufficient Chris Jones fix today, here's the new music video he has just released along with his trusty Night Drivers. It's for Laurie, the opening track from their latest album, Run Away Tonight, available

  • Virtual reality, songwriter edition

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    I never thought I’d find myself discussing video games in this space; I’m really more of a pinball guy, which I like to think of as an acoustic video game that you can set a drink on. Still, there’s been

  • Raw, Rested, and Ready

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    The recording of bluegrass music, both in the studio and in live performance has undergone a lot of changes in the past decade or two. We’ve seen the introduction of YouTube, digital editing and pitch correction, and the advent of

  • Where all the bears are friendly

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    Joe Lurgio recently contributed a thoughtful guest editorial about the stagnant nature of the IBMA Awards with suggestions about what might be done to keep the process updated. This prompted some give-and-take, which included discussion of the “big tent,” the

  • Post Literalism in bluegrass music

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    I think we may have a small problem in our world with bluegrass fundamentalism. I’m not referring to the desire on the part of some to define bluegrass music in some sort of legalistic terms with a set of rules

  • Could you repeat the question?

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    Greetings from New Haven, Connecticut, or at least that’s what the sign said on the exit. I’m here for the Podunk Bluegrass Festival just up the road in Hebron, having just wrapped up a wonderful week at the Augusta Heritage

  • Are you my Fearless Leader?

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    There are at least a few different categories of bluegrass band leader personalities. All have their good and bad points. There can be a wide range too, from the Benito Mussolini school of management, to the style of the touchy-feely