Author: Chris Jones

Bypassing Christmas for the moment ("and so, as Tiny Tim observed . . ."), we are approaching the time for year-end reflections, top 10 lists, and other ways of cataloging and looking back on the year 2020. "Yuck" is the

Last year around this time, I offered up some potential Hallmark Christmas movie plots with a bluegrass element, because, you know, we all need the money. Last year, I had no idea how much we'd be needing the money. I'm sure

Thanksgiving is upon us, and for some it's a time for reflection on all we have to be thankful for. For most, if we're honest, it's a time for eating as much as humanly possible, saving no room for pumpkin

Mr. Bluegrass Manners has just completed a 14-day mandatory self-quarantine after attending a conference in South Dakota on Thanksgiving etiquette. He's feeling well and is ready once again to take your questions: Dear Mr. Bluegrass Manners, Is it considered permissible or not to sing

Well, though it's not acknowledged in all camps, the election of 2020 is behind us (pending the final vote count in Alaska, which I'm told to expect sometime next May), and I know you were probably hoping that you could

Ours is a music of lyric mysteries. Not always, mind you. "Tonight I'm alone without you my dear, it seems there's a longing for you still," is pretty straightforward, but for every song like that, we've got a song suggesting

If this week’s column seems at all disjointed, it’s only because The Night Drivers and I are in the studio all this week, and I’m writing this in between takes of our new medley of Next Sunday Darling is My

Last week we discussed ways for bluegrass bands to cut costs, which ranged from laying off non-essential staff (like managers, bass players, or yourself), to sleeping in a ditch instead of a hotel. This week, I'd like to look at

I know we’re all tired of bad news about the music business, and bad news in general, but the reality we're facing is that when in-person concerts and smaller music clubs are back up and running, things will still not

Do you ever watch Jeopardy? Do you ever give answers in the form of questions? This is  confusing to people, don't you think? Do you ever just get sick of questions? Are you hoping there's prize money somewhere at the end