Mountain Heart at the Ryman.

Veteran Sideman Makes Solo Flight

Photos by Haley Gjertsen Mandolin whiz Ashby Frank who lays down the groove for progressive bluegrass group Mountain Heart has spent a quarter of a century recording and touring for other people. But in all that time he hasn’t used his abundance of talent as a singer/songwriter/instrumentalist to showcase his own music until now. His…

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the artists

The Bluegrass Community’s Utility Artist

Photo by Brad Holbrooks Baseball has a player dubbed utility infielder.  Such athletes are typically substitute players who can be used at more than one infield position and are useful members of a roster as they allow a manager to replace several different players on the team to either give them a rest, or because…

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The Lady of Tradition

Be Different, Stand Out & Work Your Butt Off Photo by Mickey Stroud Loyal to tradition, yet comfortable with innovation, North Carolina’s Lorraine Jordan might seem like a contradiction and you would be right. Those who know her best acknowledge that she is a total contradiction.  Lorraine’s contradictory lifestyle has afforded her much success, earning…

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Warren Blair

A 50-year career of the “Hired Gun” of Bluegrass and Country music Photo by Brian Auburn It has been an amazing ride for Warren Blair in the bluegrass world. Hailing from the Baltimore area, Blair’s career with a fiddle in his hand has seen him play with many bluegrass legends since his prowess on the…

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from the archives

David Grisman

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine February 1989, Volume 23, Number 8 David “Dawg” Grisman is back in the bluegrass once again with a new two record album featuring the likes of Red Allen, Del McCoury, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Herb Pedersen, Bobby Hicks, Tony Rice, Curly Seckler, J.D. Crowe, Sam Bush,…

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