Reviews

Italian Beppe Gambetta is very well-known to guitar players in the flatpicking guitar world.  He is an extremely talented guitarist, educator and entertainer who effortlessly provides great joy to his audience through his effervescent passion and commitment to, and enthusiasm for, his craft. In this new book, Beppe’s passion and love for both music and…

After 60 years of success in bluegrass, Larry Sparks stands as a true legend. His new CD, It’s Just Me, delivers (almost) exactly that. Over ten tunes here, Sparks plays rhythm and lead guitar and vocals, backed by Larry D. Sparks on bass. No fillers, no showy guest stars, just the quiet dignity and enduring…

Bluegrass newcomer Casey Penn mentions on Mountain Fever Records’ page that her solo debut album, One Step Away, is dedicated to the memory of her father, who she says lived a life of faith “one step away from heaven.” It’s a sweet notion about a sweet project featuring original songwriting, clean vocals, and solid picking….

Jason Barie, aka the Ramblin’ Fiddler, returns for his second appearance as the comic persona for the album Radioactive. In the latest episode—fully illustrated by Barie’s brother Eric in the CD book—the Ramblin’ Fiddler battles Shock Jock, who is warping the minds of teens with the devil’s music. The Ramblin’ Fiddler comes to save the…

Published by MOC Press Mark O’Connor has written an emotional detailed account of his experience as a child musician. He first started on guitar as a six year old and began learning fiddle at age eleven.  He was a quick learner and at age twelve he won first place in the Junior Division at The…

Not much time passes before there’s a fresh musical salute to one or another of bluegrass’s founding figures. These tributes not only strengthen and reaffirm bluegrass’s crucial links to its past, they also seem to provide a subtle moral compass in terms of reinforcing the music’s integrity with each new generation of musicians. Along those…