Music

Only a few weeks after receiving notification that Darren Beachley had left Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver to form his own band, Beachley has signed a recording contract with Patuxent Records. Beachley joined forces with Mike Auldridge, Tom Gray, Norman Wright and

Bob Webster, the WAMU/bluegrasscountry presenter of the Sunday morning programme Stained Glass Bluegrass, and regular contributor Richard F Thompson have collaborated to bring this story about the origins of the song The White Dove, the Stanley Brothers' favourite. An abridged version of the story

Brand New Strings, fresh off their win in the SPBGMA band championship earlier this month, will perform live tomorrow (2/28) on a special Saturday edition of Blue Plate Special on WDVX. The band consists of Randall Massengill on guitar, Mike Ramsey

Here's a YouTube video of Randy Kohrs and his fine band performing on The Billy Block Show earlier this month. Randy and the guys (and Ashley) rip off a strong version of Jerry Reed's The Likes Of Me. The audio guy

Fiddle master Bobby Hicks spent some time at the Berklee College of Music in Boston earlier this month, just prior to the Joe Val Festival. Berklee professor (and banjo instructor) Dave Hollender sent along a brief report on the master

The latest instructional DVD release from Homespun, Beyond Basic Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar, features noted flatpicker Steve Kaufman. As the title suggests, this video is designed for guitarists familiar with basic rhythm styles, and are ready to take the next step. Kaufman

We heard yesterday from Kenny Ray Horton, guitarist and lead vocalist with the US Navy's Country Current, who is about to release a new solo project. A Canary's Song, which features 7 songs of Horton's amidst the 11 tracks, will hit

Those who are visually impaired have access to many great books via the braille system of reading. When it comes to music instruction though, they are pretty well delegated to learning by ear. While learning by ear has many advantages,

I had a chance last week to hear some rough mixes from a new project Butch Robins is recording. The music and the arrangements are interesting and exceptionally well-played, and as per usual, Butch is breaking new ground. A great many

A video of Hard Rock Mountain Prison ('Til I Die), the upcoming single release from Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, has popped up on YouTube. It was shot during the 2009 SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Awards in Nashville on February 15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKpEDrUerrY The