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Saturday was full of options and activities for all ages. The family tent had music shows, puppet shows, face painting, and activities for kids. There were dance workshops, called dances (squares, contras, etc), and plenty of bands to dance in whatever what one desired at the Catskill Tent. Kitsy Kuykendall hosted a Bluegrass Karaoke in [...]
My fellow Americans: the state of acoustic music in our country is strong. Earlier last week in our Nation’s capital many were sitting down for principle. By week’s end, throngs were standing up in repeated ovation for American Acoustic music, recognizing it as a national treasure that should be protected and nurtured. Enthusiastic audiences had [...]
Congratulations to Chris Thile and Claire Coffee on the birth of their first child, Calvin Eugene. He was born about a week ago in Portland, OR where the newlyweds make their home. Claire plays the role of Adalind Schade on the popular NBC television drama, Grimm, which shoots in Portland. Chris heads the avant-garde string band, Punch [...]
The last set of the night at the Red Hat Amphitheater on Friday, at Wide Open Bluegrass, was heaven. Billed as the Wide Open Jam, that was a rather modest description. It was the pinnacle. It was a fine Loar, or a fine pre-war Martin. It was as good as it gets. Period. Maybe that [...]
Nonesuch Records has made free streaming audio available prior to next week's release of Bass & Mandolin, the aptly-named new album from Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer. It's a recording of this virtuoso pair's original instrumental music, and is as free-spirited and adventurous as you might expect. The stream is provided by Soundcheck, a radio program [...]
In 2008, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer released a self-titled album of mandolin and bass duets they had co-written. It found a ready audience among lovers of modern string music, but was a bit baffling for Thile's fans from Nickel Creek, and Meyer's followers in the world of classical music. Now six years later, with both [...]
Sorry girls... and guys! Mandolin master Chris Thile has married actress Claire Coffee. They were wed in a small private ceremony at Blackberry Farm in East Tennessee on December 23. Chris is the driving force behind Punch Brothers, and widely-regarded as among the most gifted to ever pick up the mandolin, and Claire is a [...]
ATO Records has announced November 5th as the official release date for Divided & United, a two-disc set commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. This hearty thirty-two song collection features the best in American music. Drawing from country, bluegrass, and Americana music, this has been one of the most-anticipated albums of the year in roots [...]
Chris Thile shot a brief video interview for The Wall Street Journal (posted yesterday), in which he expounds on one of his favorite themes: good music is good music. [jwplayer player="1" mediaid="54134"]
To help promote his latest CD release, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 1, Chris Thile was featured on Monday night's PBS Newshour. There he spoke with Jeffrey Brown about his love for Bach, the mandolin, and taking the instrument to new places. The six and a half minute segment also provided some background on this prodigious [...]
