Author: John Lawless

Fireball Mail, winners of the Band Contest at the 2016 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, have released a music video for one of the tracks on their debut album, Bending The Rails. Based in Nashville, this bunch has come a great distance

Colorado fiddler and string educator Annie Savage has a new book, Join The Jam, designed to help string musicians become more comfortable in the somewhat daunting jam session environment. It is meant both for the string student and their teachers. In

The Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University is hosting a reception next Wednesday afternoon during the World of Bluegrass convention for Alumni and friends. It will be held from 5:00-6:30 p.m. in Room 306A

We heard again this week from our friends with US Navy Band Country Current, saying that they are still on the hunt for a banjo player to join their group. The position also requires that the successful applicant double on rhythm

We've followed the launch of The Banjo Cellar and Elmer's General Store in Williamstown, KY over the past year, both businesses with a bluegrass theme. They were established by Elmer Burchett and Megan McKamey, a pair of banjo pickers who saw an

Compass Records has released a first single to radio from Nightbird, their upcoming November release from The Bankesters. It's the title track, written by Rick Lang, and sung by eldest Bankester daughter, Melissa Triplett. As ever, she is joined by husband, Kyle

Winners were chosen over this past weekend at the 45th Annual Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. Over the years, their National Flat Pick Guitar Championship and their National Bluegrass Banjo Championship have come to be recognized as among the most prestigious

Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN has announced that they will be awarding an Honorary Doctorate of Music to Steve Gulley at their Fall 2016 Commencement on December 10. This is the same institution that awarded Ralph Stanley his first honorary

Davis Banjo in Harrisburg NC has introduced a new signature banjo for Don Wayne Reno, based on his father Don's iconic prewar RB-75, affectionately known as Nellie. Called their Don Reno model, this new banjo is designed as an exact replica of

The Malina Brothers, from Czech Republic in eastern Europe, are finishing up their US tour this weekend in the central US. They are among the most celebrated Czech bluegrass artists, including Lubos Malina on banjo, Pavel Malina on guitar, and Pepa Malina on fiddle.