Wayne Benson

Bluegrass is one of the few genres of music in which instrumental skill is showcased just as much or more than vocal skill. As such, many of the best known tunes in bluegrass are instrumentals, made for showing off a

It almost goes without saying. Put two of the preeminent bluegrass mandolinists of the past 20 years together in the studio, along with a crack rhythm section, and you're sure to get something memorable tracked. And so it is with The

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

North Carolina fiddler Tim Smith has released a new album, titled simply Fiddler Tim Smith & Friends. Smith has quite a bluegrass pedigree, having worked for three years with The Bluegrass Cardinals, and with five previous solo projects to his credit.

My friend Stacy Grubb, a West Virginia singer-songwriter, sometimes muses that her music is too bluegrass for country and too country for bluegrass. That’s a perfect description for Pure & Simple, the first solo release from Robert Hale, the former

My friend Stacy Grubb, a West Virginia singer-songwriter, sometimes muses that her music is too bluegrass for country and too country for bluegrass. That’s a perfect description for Pure & Simple, the first solo release from Robert Hale, the former

This is the debut installment of LocalGrass, a new feature on Bluegrass Today. LocalGrass will twice-monthly provide information about bands and artists who are working primarily on a local or regional basis. We hope to be able to provide an early look at

Apparently, playing in a bluegrass band is a lot like riding a bicycle. Once you learn how to do it, you don’t forget how, even if years go by without doing it. You might wobble a bit, but the basics

Pinecastle has announced two new projects set for release early in 2012. First up is a twin mandolin project from Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson. This one has been in the works for several years, and was thought to have been

Make that two headstocks... We heard from Alan Bibey this weekend with an update about the twin mandolin CD he is recording with Wayne Benson. This project has been a long time in coming, with these two top pickers getting together