Author: John Lawless

Recording King has announced a new banjo model, the RK-Elite, to be debuted in January 2010. They describe this as their "most traditional Pre-war style banjo ever." The Elite features headstock and fingerboard inlays styled after the popular Flying Eagle pattern,

Get your fill of mando talk tonight and tomorrow afternoon with radio interviews featuring Adam Steffey and Doyle Lawson scheduled over the next 24 hours. Adam will be on WBRF, broadcasting from Galax, VA during the 9:00 p.m. hour (EST) tonight

Dr. Ralph Stanley sent along this brief tribute to his long-time friend and bass player, Jack Cooke, who passed away earlier this week. “I have nothing but the best to say about Jack. He played with me about 40 years (and

The Loar, a division of The Music Link, has announced their first A-model mandolin, the LM-400. They have done very well with their two F-style mandolins (LM-600 and LM-700) and are pleased to offer this new instrument to their budget-minded line.

Nominations were announced yesterday (12/2) for the 52nd annual Grammy Awards. Omitted from the breathless news coverage of all the shiny pop stars was the real news that matters to readers of Bluegrass Today. Nominees for Best Bluegrass Album (Vocal or Instrumental): Could

We have just learned that Jack Cooke, long-time member of Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, passed away last night (12/1) after suffering a massive heart attack. He collapsed at home and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Cooke performed

Alison Krauss is offering a special package of her many recordings this week from her web site. They are calling it The Complete Alison Package, and it includes 13 CDs and 2 DVDs for $150. This package will only be available

Well, here are a couple more band changes to announce at year's end. Mandolinist Bobby Clark is leaving the Williams & Clark Expedition to work with Jerry Butler & The Blu-J's. Clark has toiled in the bluegrass salt mines for for

IIIrd Tyme Out banjo man Steve Dilling has assembled a group of friends and musical compatriots for yet another brief December all-star tour. They will do three shows starting tomorrow in the southeastern US. Steve says that it has become a

Mandolin Cafe alerted us to a new work of fiction that will tweak the imaginations of anyone whose ears spark to the sound of the mandolin. The book is A Mandolin of Gold, written by Michael Tedesco. It tells the story