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Fiddler and vocalist April Verch has been in the studio this past two weeks, working on a new project expected in April of 2013. She and her band (Cody Walters on bass and banjo, and Hayes Griffin on guitar), have been tracking with Chris Rosser, at Hollow Reed Studio in Asheville, NC and have 20 pieces in [...]
Heading into IBMA week, and our big Red Carpet pre-show event next Thursday at 7:45 p.m. (EDT), it seems like a good time to settle one of the most compelling debates in all of bluegrass music. Not acoustic v.s. electric bass, old school v.s. big tent, or even Earl v.s. Don. No... today's burning question [...]
This report from RockyGrass is a contribution from Jake Schepps and Christian Sedelmyer. This year’s RockyGrass sold out on February 27th, the earliest ever sellout for the festival by two months. For those lucky enough to get tickets, this year’s lineup is as inspired as ever. Here are a few of our highlights: Noam Pikelny’s set [...]
A reunion of the influential 1980s bluegrass band, The Virginia Squires, has been scheduled for August 24 in Fredricksburg, VA. The all-day event, which will also include a golf outing, is a benefit for bluegrass veteran Mark Newton. We had reported last month that Newton was taken ill in Virginia during the Graves Mountain Festival [...]
Terry Herd took refuge yesterday afternoon in the Lonesome River Band bus during the afternoon heat at ROMP, and captured this interview with Sammy Shelor. Big Sam talked about the second volume of LRB's Anthology album, due July 2, which features re-recorded versions of songs from the band's second decade. He also shared some thoughts [...]
Acoustic Blue has released a new recording, Bein' Country, their fifth album over a ten year history. The band consists of Shaun Batho on guitar, Corey Zink on mandolin, Lary Neu on banjo and Ray Evans on bass. Vocals are shared among Zink, Neu and Evans. This newest project was produced by Sammy Shelor from [...]
Speaking of the enduring powerhouse, Lonesome River Band... As we have mentioned before, the band is celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2012 by releasing a trio of short-form albums throughout the year, each featuring reworked versions of their classic recordings. The first, Chronology, Volume I, hit in February, and the guys are working now in [...]
Here's video of the Earl Scruggs tribute held last weekend at the Big Lick Festival in North Carolina. We published some photos yesterday taken by Laura Tate Ridge, and now comes this 27-minute video of the stage presentation, hosted by Little Roy Lewis and Lizzy Long. In addition to some fine banjo picking' from Lizzy, Roy, Sammy Shelor, [...]
Laura Tate Ridge sent along these photos from the Earl Scruggs tribute, held on stage as part of the Big Lick Festival in Oakboro, NC on April 13.
These ruminations on the passing of Earl Scruggs are a contribution from Sammy Shelor, banjo player and band leader with Lonesome River Band, and a hugely influential contemporary 5 string stylist. Earl Scruggs influenced American music as much as any one individual. He definitely had a big influence on me. My parents said before I could [...]
