The Archives
Ralph Rinzler
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine August 1994, Volume 29, Number 2 Ralph Rinzler—one of the most influential figures in bluegrass, folk and old-time country music history—died on July 2,1994, at his home in Washington, D.C., after a lengthy illness. He was 59 years old. During an active life as a folklorist, promoter and musician, Rinzler…
Blue Side of the Mountain—Steel Drivers Mine A Deeper Vein of Lonesome
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine December 2008, Volume 43, Number 6 “It’s time for the uneasy listening portion of the evening, when bad things happen to good people.” Mike Henderson grins under the brim of his black cowboy hat and hits a bluesy lick on his Gibson mandolin, surveying the packed-to-the-walls Station Inn. Nashville’s bluegrass…
Kathy Kallick
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine August 1995, Volume 30, Number 2 There were a couple of directions we could have gone with this album,” says singer/songwriter Kathy Kallick of her current release, “Matters Of The Heart,” on Sugar Hill Records. “We could have done cover tunes, or we could have done a mixture [of covers…
The Making of Rounder 0044
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine September 2015, Volume 50, Number 3 Four decades ago, J.D. Crowe & the New South went into the studio to record one of bluegrass music’s most influential albums. The band consisted of J.D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs, Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, and Bobby Slone, and their 1975 eponymous album is commonly…
The Travelin’ McCourys Blaze Their Own Trail
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine June 2010, Volume 44, Number 12 The Travelin’ McCourys have a couple things they’d like you to know. First, despite rumors, Del is alive and well and not planning to retire for a long, long time. Second, they’re getting tired of those “Del-less” McCoury Band jokes. It all started a…
The Virginia Squires — Show Band Extraordinary
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine January 1985, Volume 19, Number 7 In terms of superior musicianship, highly skilled vocal arrangements and broad audience appeal, the Virginia Squires are absolutely unsurpassed as a contemporary bluegrass show band and a tough act to follow in any musical environment. Members of the Virginia Squires describe their music as…