Current Issue
July 2022

The Tradition

Notes & Queries – July 2022

By Gary Reid

Queries Q: When it comes to Clarence White’s guitars, it seems most of the attention is given (and not inappropriately so) to the iconic 1935 D-28 that ended up in…

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Bill Poffenberger

By Tom Knowles

Classic Fiddler From the Early Days of Bluegrass I have recently been listening to some of my older bluegrass albums and kept hearing wonderful fiddle breaks and backup, particularly on the…

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John McEuen releases book to celebrate 50th anniversary of Will the Circle Be Unbroken

By Nancy Cardwell

Around jam session circles and festival campfires the conversation sometimes turns to bluegrass “conversion” stories. Among the baby boomer generation unless a bluegrass fan grew up in a family that…

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The Artists

Laura Orshaw

By Nancy Posey

Solitary Diamond Photo by Scott Simontacchi Solitary Diamond, the title of Laura Orshaw’s debut album, resonates on a number of levels. The words themselves come from a couple of songs…

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Gary Ferguson

By Jack Bernhardt

Color His Songs Red, White, And Blue And Emerald Green “Around 1990, [Rebel Records owner] Dave Freeman asked if I had any songs I’d like to send to Larry Sparks,”…

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Balsam Range 

By Derek Halsey

Celebrating 15 Years of Bringing Western North Carolina Bluegrass to the World Photo By Caty Smith When it comes to the top tier of bands that have found success in this…

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The Sound

Ringing in the Changes

By Dan Shaw

Geoff Stelling Bids Farewell to Banjo Making After 48 Years It may seem an odd thing to say in an age when the options for professional-quality banjos are plentiful, but there…

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New York’s Bluegrass Bassman

By Dan Miller

Photo by Justin Camerer Although the bass is not the most glamorous of bluegrass instruments, it is certainly just as important as every other instrument in the band.  It is…

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The Venue

New Kid on the Block of Traditional Music Programs

By Derek Halsey

Warren Wilson College While it has only been around for a short time, Warren Wilson College’s Traditional Music program is well on its way to being a go-to destination for…

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Appalachian Music Program

By Dan Miller

West Virginia University For bluegrass music fans, West Virginia represents the heartland of the deep and rich musical traditions of Appalachia.  The old rural mountain lifestyle that first generation bluegrass…

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Center for Appalachian Studies

By Derek Halsey

Appalachian State University In the heart of the western North Carolina mountains is the small town of Boone. Named after the historical figure Daniel Boone, who lived in the area…

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Bluegrass Music Program

By Dan Miller

Colorado College Colorado College, located on a ninety-two acre campus in downtown Colorado Springs, is a small liberal arts college comprised of only two thousand total students (only 500 of…

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Milan Music Fest

By Derek Halsey

Expands to 5 Days As it Celebrates 25th Anniversary in Southeastern Michigan While a lot of bluegrass music was performed live around the country from the second half of 2021…

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