• God Didn’t Choose Sides

    Music about the Civil War is a staple of bluegrass and folk music. There are some memorable songs and terrific collections that recall the pain and anguish of brother fighting brother. But I’m pretty sure there’s never been anything like God

  • Mandolin Mashup at Berklee

    This evening (2/12), the Berklee College of Music in Boston will host its 7th annual Mandolin Mashup. It was created by the late John McGann when he joined the faculty at Berklee in 2006, to highlight his most promising students. The

  • Bibey & Benson CD due March 12

    The long-awaited twin mandolin project from Wayne Benson and Alan Bibey, The Mandolin Chronicles, has been announced for a March 12 release on Pinecastle. It celebrates not only these two stellar musicians, but also the classic prewar instruments they each

  • Breaking news from Missy Raines

    If you catch Missy Raines playing a show in the next few weeks, it’ll be hard to miss her newest accessory – a dark sling to help immobilize her right arm and shoulder. Missy fell in a Y gym in mid-January, fracturing the humerus

  • And the Bluegrass Grammy for 2013 goes to…

    Congratulations to Steep Canyon Rangers, whose Nobody Knows You album was just announced as the winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for the Best Bluegrass Album. The Goat Rodeo Sessions (Yo Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan) was awarded

  • Kathy Mattea – Hello…My Name is Coal

    Sugar Hill Records has launched the latest video from Kathy Mattea’s current album Calling Me Home (Sugar Hill SUG-CD-4085). Songwriters Larry Cordle and Jenee Fleenor composed the song, Builder Levy, James Minchin and David McClister provided the iconic photographs, and filmmaker

  • New bluegrass association in South Dakota

    The East River & Missouri River Valley Bluegrass Music Association is now operational in South Dakota. Their intention is to serve as an organizational force for fans, patrons and both professional and amateur musicians in southeastern South Dakota, northwestern Iowa