Articles

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine December 1977, Volume 12, Number 6 The dream of many aspiring bluegrass Dobro pickers is to play for Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass. Since 1972, this position has been capably filled by Charlie Nixon. Originally from Springfield, Tennessee, 25 miles north of Nashville, Charlie was fascinated by the sound…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine April 2013, Volume 47, Number 10 Among the better-known but under rated bluegrass musicians who have more than paid their dues, the name Billy Baker must rank as one of the more significant. At one time or another, this Virginia native worked as a regular or fill-in with about every…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine April 1985, Volume 19, Number 10 Marc Pruett’s office tells at least half the story. A ten by fifteen foot corner of his Pick ‘N’ Grin music store in Asheville, North Carolina, it exudes warmth and frenzied activity. Banjo parts lie scattered about wherever he could find space for a…

Reprinted fromBluegrass Unlimited Magazine June 1981, Volume 15, Number 12 In a musical field where “an overnight success” simply does not exist and many years of “paying your dues” is the normal course for the fortunate few who attain top drawer status, as well as for the many others who don’t, The Bluegrass Cardinals have…

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1972 Will The Circle Be Unbroken Album In 1972, when I was a brand new teenager, my younger brother and I would do the goofy thing of getting my Mom vinyl music albums for Christmas that we really wanted ourselves. Why in the world would our Mom want an Eric Clapton…

Master of the 5-String Banjo Photo by Caty Smith Balsam Range banjo powerhouse Marc Pruett has spent 59 years gracing stages, playing bluegrass music. He has recorded and/or appeared in concert with Balsam Range, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, James Monroe, Lester Flatt, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Emmylou Harris, Mac Wiseman,…