Author: John Lawless

Kentuckian Gary Brewer knows how to run a family business. Together with his dad and his sons, Brewer runs a farm, a Tae-Kwon-Do academy, and a bluegrass band. And it's not just the menfolk. The Brewer ladies are knee-deep in

Despite the highly descriptive name, The Monroe Mandolin Camp is not just for students of the mandolin style pioneered by the Father of Bluegrass. The five-day workshop includes instruction on banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bass as well as Big Mon's

The two finger old time banjo style, played for generations in eastern Kentucky and North Carolina, largely lost the b battle to the three finger approach popularized by Earl Scruggs in the late 1940s. So much so that very few musicians

To help celebrate this week's release of their latest album, Out In The Open, the Steep Canyon Rangers have released a behind-the-scenes video of one of the tracks. They cut this record live in the studio, and the video captures them

The IBMA Foundation, formerly known as the Foundation for Bluegrass Music, has announced the recipients of its 2018 funding grants. Since merging with the International Bluegrass Music Association late last year, the Foundation has continued in its primary mission of

Word of the formation of the Highland Travelers earlier this month set the bluegrass world on its ear. Following the sad news of the breakup of The Boxcars, followed by the imminent demise of Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, it

Students of bluegrass music in today's world may not always recognize what an embarrassment of riches they now have at their disposal. Books galore, online and DVD video, and instructional workshops and camps are widely available, where even 20 years

2016 was the breakout year for ClayBank. The hot new bluegrass group from North Carolina knocked the socks off the bluegrass world with live appearances and band competition performances. Much of the attention was generated by their young mandolinist Zack Arnold,

For some reason, a rumor is circulating online suggesting that lobby jamming will not be allowed at this weekend's SPBGMA National Convention in Nashville. The folks in the SPBGMA office told us that they are getting dozens of calls and

AJ Lee & Blue Summit perform at the Northern California Bluegrass Awards: Isaac Cornelius, AJ Lee, Jesse Fichman, & Sullivan Tuttle. Photo by Rodney Lee This past Saturday, the Northern California Bluegrass Society announced the winners of their 2018 Northern California Bluegrass