The Archives
The Dry Branch Fire Squad
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine January 1980, Volume 14, Number 7 What do you get when you cross a hillbilly, a fisherman in a cowboy hat, a mechanic, and a whittler, with satirical wit, meticulous musicianship, and a great respect for the heritage of bluegrass music? The Dry Branch Fire Squad, of course. And who…
Bill Harrell: The New Direction
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 1980, Volume 14, Number 11 Nearly everybody has a part of their past they don’t really like to talk about. When Bill Harrell was being interviewed for this article, he was asked about a particular time during his association with the great banjo-player and songwriter Don Reno. Harrell’s happy…
Spectrum
When the four of them first got together and decided on a name for their new group, they chose Spectrum, to indicate their wide range of musical interests and abilities. The name is apt, as the music they produce together stretches from 1930’s popular music through Texas swing to jazz and country, while working within…
Joe Meadows—Mountain State Fiddler
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine October 1978, Volume 13, Number 4 Numerous fiddlers have made notable contributions to bluegrass music. Joe Meadows ranks among the more prominent, particularly during the decades of the fifties and the seventies. In between Joe took a long vacation from music but during his two active periods he established himself…
Jim Shumate—Bluegrass Fiddler Supreme
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine April 1979, Volume 13, Number 10 It’s a long drive from Raleigh, North Carolina to Nashville, Tennessee. Before Interstate 40 was cut through North Carolina, driving west from Raleigh meant winding through such towns as Siler City, Mocksville, Statesville, Hickory, and Old Fort. Bill Monroe is no stranger to that…
The Osborne Brothers— Part Two: Getting It Off
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine February 1972, Volume 6, Number 8 (Part One: Family and Apprenticeship appeared in Bluegrass Unlimited Volume 6, Number 5, September 1971) (To read part one of this series, click here: https://www.bluegrassunlimited.com/article/the-osborne-brothers/) At the start of 1956, Bob and Sonny Osborne were once more at home in Dayton, Ohio, playing the…