Alison Brown elected Chapter President of Recording Academy
Congratulations to Alison Brown on being elected President of the Nashville Chapter of The Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammy Awards. There are a total of 12 regional chapters, and Nashville is a very important one, so this is a major accomplishment. Here in the bluegrass world we know Alison as a banjo player […]
George Jackson & Brad Kolodner – Shady Lane
When fiddler George Jackson met banjoist Brad Kolodner ten years ago in a late night jam session at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, it was the beginning of a deep and lasting musical bond. After embarking on a tour of Jackson’s native New Zealand in the spring of 2024, the […]
Daniel Grindstaff goes Tom Petty with Angel Dream
When we were all listening to Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in the 1970s and ’80s, who ever thought that so many of his songs would become bluegrass covers. Not me, that’s for sure. After several from Dale Ann Bradley and others, the latest comes from banjo player Daniel Grindstaff and his new band, The […]
A Journey Within video from Todd Taylor
South Carolina banjo man Todd Taylor has a music video for A Journey Within, a new one he has written and dedicated to the people and the state of Wyoming. The tune, Taylor’s latest single, caught the ear of celebrated banjo player and multi-instrumentalist John McEuen, a co-founder of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, who […]
Gabe Hirshfeld’s kidney transplant is successful
Back in January we told you about a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Boston banjo player Gabe Hirshfeld, who was suffering from an aggressive kidney disease that would require a transplant soon. We are delighted to report that a donor was found earlier this month, and a successful kidney transplant was performed on April […]
Congratulations James and Lilly!
On April 11 in Hendersonville, NC, James McDowell and Lilly Person were married at Crab Creek Baptist Church. James is the banjo player with Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, and Lilly is about to graduate from AB Tech with a degree in Ultrasound. James had previously been a member of Carolina Blue while they were […]
Strings for Dreams raffle for a Deering Maple Blossom banjo
The IBMA Foundation has announced their 2025 Strings for Dreams raffle, with proceeds going to the Foundation’s work to foster the growth of bluegrass music through educational programs, scholarships, and grants. Strings for Dreams offers their raffles based on vintage and contemporary musical instrument donations to the Foundation, with donors receiving tax benefits for the […]
Elliott’s Banjo School offers lessons for life
Colorado banjo player Chris Elliott is one of many bluegrass educators offering video lessons online. But he has come up with a different way to market them which should be of interest to budget-conscious students. Elliott’s Banjo School was launched a few years ago after Chris had spent five years studying banjo with Alan Munde […]
5 Days Out, 2 Days Back from Steve and Alison
Steve Martin and Alison Brown are back with another banjo-heavy song, recorded with a group of Nashville heavy hitters. It’s one that tells the story of a touring musician’s life, 5 Days Out, 2 Days Back, which the banjo duo wrote together, sung by Tim O’Brien, who also plays mandolin on the track. He says […]
Dr Arm announces new Special Banjo Armrest
Slovak banjo player Richard Ciferský and his company, Banjolit, have introduced a new wooden banjo armrest offering superior wrist support with a specially crafted radius for maximum comfort. It’s based on the 12-year success of his Dr. Arm armrest, designed initially for players whose forearms react to the nickel plating on most banjo parts. But […]
