Reviews

Mel Bay has a pair of new mandolin books, aimed at two different strata of pickers. Children's Mandolin Method, written by William Bay (son of the company's founder, Mel) is just what the title suggests. It follows the familiar method book

Talented young bands seem to pop up like weeds these days. Every time I turn around, there is another CD from a group that appears to have come out of nowhere, at least on a national level. Just such a band

With music scenes in such far-flung locations as Japan, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand, it is becoming more and more apparent that bluegrass music has come a long way from its roots in Bill Monroe’s western Kentucky hometown of

As you guys may have noticed, I have been on a bit of a hiatus from writing. This past couple months have been stressful for me and my family. You may have read recently that my grandmother, Prudence Mullins, lost

Over the past year, the Lonesome River Band has dedicated much of their time to recording an ambitious three-disc collection celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary. For the third and final album in this collection, Chronology Volume 3, the current LRB

The second release from the Darrell Webb Band, Breaking Down the Barriers, is quite appropriately titled. Its genre-bending sound mixes contemporary bluegrass and country, creating a playful sound ready for the radio. Webb pulls from established songwriters as well as

It’s no secret that the Tri-Cities area of East Tennessee is full of bluegrass. One band in particular which is beginning to draw attention not only within the region but across the south and Midwest is the Sons of Bluegrass.

The mythical phoenix was known for its ability to resurrect itself after a life cycle of at least 500 years. While the Yankee Rebels haven’t been together quite that long, they, like the phoenix, have found new life with the

“High country.” That’s the term the Infamous Stringdusters are using these days to describe their music, but since many listeners will struggle to know exactly what that means, it may more familiarly be called a blend of progressive bluegrass, contemporary

One of the chief rules of stage performance, going back to the vaudeville days, is that you never want to follow an animal or a kid act. We don't get many animal acts in bluegrass, but cute kids have been a