Reviews
The Sunny Side Of Life
Carolyn Eyerly Patuxent Music Cd-344 Northern Virginia native Carolyn Eyerly’s dulcet voice has long been familiar to bluegrass fans in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Eyerly co-founded and was lead singer for a D.C.-based folk group called Shenandoah Run. Later, she was a founding member of Sweet Yonder, an all-women bluegrass assembly that enjoyed regional…
Tunes & Ballads
Tim Stafford On his latest solo CD, Tim Stafford artfully carries the listener from the redolent smells of greasepaint, bison sweat and saddle leather inside the big top tent of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show to the gruesome and much publicized serial murders in Victorian London’s Whitechapel District (which oddly are overlapping eras) in a…
Cascade
Wes Corbett Padiddle Records “Cascade” is banjoist Wes Corbett’s first solo project since becoming the newest member of the Sam Bush Band. Corbett, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, now resides in Nashville where he also teaches banjo. Corbett cites his influences as Earl Scruggs’ banjo style, but also the melodic…
Companion To The Bluegrass Banjo For The Compete Ignoramus
By Wayne Erbesen Native Ground Music Long before the self-deprecating series of “Books for Dummies,” there was a banjo book for ignoramuses. This is the latest book in that series. It builds upon the author’s previous book, Bluegrass Banjo for the Complete Ignoramus. Unlike many books that spoon-feed information to the user while asking for…
Old Time Fiddle Tune Favorites
By Tristan Scroggins In the introduction to his instructional book for mandolin, Old Time Fiddle Tune Favorites, Tristan Scroggins discusses an issue that many bluegrass players face when they attend a jam session and someone calls out an old-time fiddle tune. Tristan writes, “I grew up playing bluegrass music so I was always intimidated when…
The MilBillies
After spending the last two years honing their craft, the Milwaukee-based quintet The MilBillies don’t disappoint with their self-titled debut effort (out Nov. 6, 2020) that straddles the line between the traditional and progressive schools of bluegrass along with hints of blues, punk and country. Comprised of Matt Brey (mandolin), Eben Flood (guitar), Dan Shaw…