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Steve Bryant was already thinking a lot about all the fun he had in bluegrass a couple of decades ago. A trip to IBMA’s Fanfest this year sealed the deal. “I’d like to get reacquainted with bluegrass,” Steve told me over the phone after the quick-stop visit to IBMA found him rehashing old war stories [...]
This contribution comes from Dick Bowden, who will be a regular correspondent on Bluegrass Today. Here he files his detailed report on the resurrected Thomas Point Beach festival, held this past Labor Day weekend near Brunswick, Maine after having heard its requiem read in 2008. The site is a beautiful as ever, just spitting distance [...]
Things got a bit crazy last week, and we didn't get as many of Frank Baker's terrific Gettysburg photos up as had been planned. Here is the next batch, with more still to come. This time, we feature shots from both the morning and evening sets by Dry Branch Fire Squad, and a special performance [...]
There are some well known bluegrass players who hide out in the air-conditioned comfort of the bus until just before a show, and spend as little time at the record table as they can. Then there’s Bobby Hicks. With a boatload of awards, including multiple Grammy trophies, and a resume that features backing Bill Monroe [...]
We posted back in April about Fanning The Fire, a short documentary film about bluegrass music that was produced in association with the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in Texas. The film follows Texas teen Lucas White in his bluegrass adventure from a novice picker to taking the stage at a major festival over the course of [...]
For years, the indefatigable Fred Robbins has been posting and maintaining an online archive of bluegrass memorabilia, in the form of photographs, video and audio files. His particular specialty is the early history of bluegrass festivals, from the late 1960s forward, though he also provides a home for media of a much more recent vintage. [...]
It is with a bitter-sweet taste that we announce the forthcoming publication of the book Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe by Marty Godbey. Due to be published by the University of Illinois Press (ISBN 13: 9780252078255 ISBN 10: 025207825X) on September 1, the 216 page paperback biography charts the life [...]
Mike Kelly has posted a good many photos from this past Saturday's Phil Leadbetter benefit show at Dumplin' Valley in Kodak, TN. A number of top bluegrass acts donated their time to help raise money to cover some of the medical expenses for Phil's cancer treatment. Fortunately, Phil felt well enough to join in, performing [...]
This Saturday (6/4), friends and supporters of Phil Leadbetter will assemble at the Dumplin' Valley Farm in Kodak, TN to host a benefit concert. Phil received a diagnosis of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in March of this year. He has since undergone a number of surgical treatments, and is receiving ongoing chemotherapy. Like far too many professional [...]
Just before he kicked off You Can Have Her on Friday afternoon, J.D. Crowe had a moment of doubt: "Can I really do this?" But as the banjo rang loud and clear, he knew. The band knew. And the fans knew. Less than three months after he broke his arm and elbow in a fall, [...]
