Goodtime Revival – BB Bowness
Catherine “BB” Bowness is a name that listeners of progressive bluegrass should be familiar with. Over a decade ago, the New Zealand native moved to the United States to delve deeper into her passion for the five string banjo. She would eventually become a founding member of the award winning Mile Twelve, where she would […]
Tribute to Philippe Bourgeois
These remembrances of French banjo maestro Philippe Bourgeois are a contribution from Gilles Rézard, Thierry Loyer, and Christian Séguret. They were written in French, and translated into English by Angelika Hernmarck. On July 14, 2025, we lost one of the greatest banjo players France has ever known: Philippe Bourgeois. In the 1980s, he established himself […]
Mason Crone to Chris Davis Band
Chris Davis has announced the addition of Mason Crone playing banjo with his new band. Davis is launching a full time solo career in the wake of Joe Mullins’ retirement from active touring. Chris had been playing mandolin with Joe and The Radio Ramblers, and prior to that, with The Grascals, Junior Sisk, Marty Raybon, […]
Derek Stone receives 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship
Share America President Randall Franks (right) and organization benefactor Tim Witt (left) present Derek Stone with his Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship designee certificate Derek Stone, 15-year-old banjo player from Chattanooga, TN, has been announced as the recipient of the 2025 Pearl and Floyd Franks Scholarship by the Share America Foundation. Even at such an […]
Pauli Halme and Jürgen Biller to Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers
Finland’s Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers have announced two new members of the band. Jürgen Biller is their new banjo player, and Pauli Halme has joined on fiddle, taking them to a five piece band. Syren, who has led the group since 1995 on mandolin, shared a brief introduction to his new bandmates. “A talented […]
Christmas gift ideas for your favorite pickers
The turkey’s all gone, the stockings have been hung, and Christmas shopping has begun. If you’re still looking for that perfect gift for the bluegrass musician in your life, here’s a list of suggestions! First, Consider Picks For musicians, a quality pick can make all the difference in tone and playability. Knoxville-based BlueChip Pick offers […]
Chris Walters passes
Chris Walters, noted banjo player from Kingsport, TN died on November 11 following complications from a stroke he suffered several years ago. He was 75 years of age. Walters is the sort of musician particularly difficult to eulogize, in that he didn’t tour widely, and left behind no recordings to boast of his artistry. But […]
Deering unveils Pink Ivory banjo
The Deering banjo company has unveiled a true museum piece, a spectacularly rare instrument they have dubbed the Pink Ivory banjo. The name derives from the wood used in its manufacture, known variously as pink ivory, red ivory, or in the languages of southern Africa where it grows, as umnini or umgoloti. Its rarity is a […]
Look Me Up By The Ocean Door from Russ Carson, featuring Ron Block
Engelhardt Music Group has released another single from big bad banjo man Russ Carson, he of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and the popular YouTube and Instagram profiles 81Crowe, where he is well known as both a banjo instructor and proponent of Gold Star banjos. Even before his time with Skaggs, Russ made a name […]
Honey Babe Blues from Jason Burleson
Blue Highway’s Jason Burleson has a new single released today, his version of the Honey Babe Blues. This is an old song, often credited to Clarence Ashley, though some musicologists believe it actually dates back to the 19th century. Despite the name, the song doesn’t follow the standard 12-bar format, but a more typical 16-bar […]
