Reviews

Pick and Howl, winners of the 2022 Rockygrass band competition, cites its influences as coming from across the stylistic board: from Flatt & Scruggs and Billy Strings, to the Grateful Dead and Townes Van Zandt.   The band wears these influences well, with provocative original songs and robust vocals and harmonies underpinned by a super-charged…

If there was a bluegrass mandolin hall of fame, there is no doubt that John Reischman would have a plaque on the wall.  He is not only an extremely innovative player, but his clean notes, rich tone, fluidity and expert use of dynamics are what every serious mandolin player strives to achieve.  He has set…

When rising bluegrass stars The Price Sisters posted an impromptu field recording of “Weary Lonesome Blues” to their Facebook page last year, they had no idea it would reach more than one million viewers worldwide. One reason for its success was that the videographer used a new mic from Audigo Labs that clearly and crisply…

One of the easiest and least expensive ways to upgrade the look of your flattop guitar is changing out the stock pickguard for a custom-poured guard. These custom pickguards accurately resemble the mottled tortoiseshell style, tiger stripe, or browner, more aged-looking guards from the guitars of the 1930s and ‘40s. They first appeared years ago…

I have known William (Bill) Bay—son of Mel Bay Publications founder Mel Bay—for many years.  He was a regular columnist to Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, which I published and edited for twenty years (1996-2016).  Bill is a very talented writer of instrumental guitar music and an equally talented arranger of instrumental guitar music.  He has published…

Authentic Unlimited’s mandolin player, Jesse Brock, has won the Mandolin Player of the Year Award at the IBMA Awards Show three times (2009, 2015 and 2024).  He has performed with some of the top bands in bluegrass music, including the Lynn Morris Band, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Audie Blaylock…