Reviews
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…
Dreams from the Overlook
Jody Stetcher For many years I’ve scanned the albums of Jody Stecher and partner Kate Brislin for overlooked gems of early bluegrass and folk music. There was always a clarity and power in the renditions that brought out the beauty of the tune. The new album Dreams from the Overlook, I’m happy to say, follows…
Ned Luberecki’s True Fire Banjo Lessons
Bluegrass Bajo for Beginners Bluegrass Bajo Jam Survival Guide 30 Bluegrass Banjo Licks You Must Know Bluegrass Banjo Backup Banjo Lessons Taken as a whole, Ned Luberecki’s four True Fire video courses cover the bread and butter of beginning and intermediate bluegrass banjo playing in a way that’s fun, engaging and approachable. What makes these…
Distance and Time
Becky Buller Dark Shadow Recording DSR202002 It’s exhausting reviewing a Becky Buller album — a writer has to lug out a thesaurus to keep all the superlatives straight. Buller, the only performer to win IBMA vocalist and instrumentalist awards in the same year (2016) is at it again with her latest release, Distance and Time….
Hillbilly Maidens, Okies, and Cowgirls: Women’s Country Music, 1930-1960
By Stephanie Vander Wel University of Illinois Press The years 1930 to 1960 saw remarkable changes in country music from Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Chet Atkins and Patsy Cline appeared on the scene. New musical styles—bluegrass, honky-tonk, Western swing—and new media such as radio, TV, and LPs emerged. Stephanie Vander Wel of the University…
The Jamboree In Wheeling
By Ivan M. Tribe and Jacob Baptist Arcadia Publishing In 1924 the “National Barn Dance” began broadcasting at WLS in Chicago. Soon after, “Barn Dance”, “Jamboree’, and “Hayride” radio programs began appearing in cities like Nashville, Dallas, Shreveport, Cincinnati, Knoxville, and Wheeling. These programs served as a prominent source of live and radio entertainment for…