mandolin

  • Valentine's Fall by Cary Fagan

    | by

    Last week we had news of a new book of fiction based on the popular Del McCoury hit, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. Reading Mandolin Cafe this morning, we learned of another new novel with a bluegrass theme. Valentine's Fall is the

  • Sierra Hull on Blue Plate Special

    | by

    Young mandolin prodigy Sierra Hull has started classes at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but is still touring with her band, Highway 111. She is adapting to having to fly to make the dates, but mixing school work

  • Buddy Merriam: Back Roads Mandolin

    | by

    Mandolin player Buddy Merriam has recently released a new solo CD containing 14 of his traditionally styled, original mandolin compositions. Buddy is a special jewel within the bluegrass firmament. Not only is he a traditionalist at heart, but also an innovator.

  • Sam Bush – Circles Around Me

    | by

    We just got our advance copy of the new Sam Bush CD, Circles Around Me. Sam had told us that it was one that his bluegrass and newgrass fans would really appreciate, and he wasn't kidding. Other than the subtle percussion

  • Sierra Hull is Boston bound

    | by

    We had a piece up on Monday about Sarah Jarosz and her decision to attend college at Boston's New England Conservatory. But she's not the only talented, young singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from the bluegrass world headed for Boston in

  • B-Natural from Herschel Sizemore

    | by

    Mandolin legend Herschel Sizemore may be retired from active touring, but he hasn't stopped writing and the recording the sort of clever instrumentals that have so endeared him to the mandolin world. His latest CD, B-Natural, has just been released. It's

  • Future of bluegrass assured

    | by

    With August 1 on the horizon, the airwaves are once again inundated with back to school advertisements. For recently-graduated high schoolers, plans for college are well underway, fraught with that bittersweet mix of anticipation and uncertainty. Next week we'll have stories

  • Into The Cauldron transcriptions

    | by

    Mike Marshall has prepared a book of transcriptions from his 2003 CD Into The Cauldron, a set of stunning duets with fellow mando-wizard Chris Thile. It contains transcriptions from 9 of 11 tracks on the CD, including the main melody,

  • Chris Thile to debut mandolin concerto

    | by

    Never one to rest on past accomplishments, Chris Thile is forging ahead into new territory once again. This coming Sunday, July 19, Thile will perform as a soloist with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, in Interlochen, Michigan. They will be performing