• Where the Greengrass meets the Bluegrass

    The Carter Brothers never rest... or so it would seem. Fresh off the release of their The Road To Roosky album on Compass, the boys have already tracked another project, again with an Irish/American vibe. Tim Carter, the banjo-playing half of the team

  • Phil Leadbetter benefit in March

    Another benefit concert has been scheduled in Knoxville for Phil Leadbetter, who continues to undergo treatment for a very stubborn cancer that has been try resistant to common therapies. Phil has dedicated his life to bluegrass music, working in turn

  • Josh Williams saves the day

    Friday night at the Station Inn in Nashville, J. D. Crowe became ill and was unable to finish the show. According to New South guitarist Ricky Wasson, Crowe was recovering from a recent bout with pneumonia, and probably overexerted himself. Fortunately, consummate

  • Snuffy Smith passes

    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

  • Grascals file counter suit against Webster

    We reported last month that a suit had been brought against The Grascals by Entertainment Evolution, a company managed by Nashville publicist Kirt Webster. At the time, the band offered no comment on the merits of the suit. Now, a countersuit

  • SPBGMA in Nashville this weekend

    This weekend, Nashville will host the annual convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America, which goes by the tongue numbing acronym, SPBGMA (spigma). Like the Fall convention hosted by the International Bluegrass Music Association, SPBGMA holds

  • Sideline recording in the works

    Side projects are becoming more and more common in the bluegrass world. Sometimes it's a solo project from a member of an established band; other times it's an all-star effort involving a bevy of popular artists. But sometimes it's an

  • Life Goes On – Music from the MACC II

    We've written many times about the magnificent work done by Darrel and Phyllis Adkins at their annual Musicians Against Childhood Cancer festival in Ohio. Top bluegrass acts make the trip each summer and perform at no charge, with proceeds from the

  • New Boxcars CD almost done

    I caught up yesterday with Adam Steffey, who filled me in on the two biggest events in his life these days. Make that three! His twin sons, Riley and A.P., are occupying much of his energy, but he's also been carving