The Artists

Photos by Sophia Sharp Bluegrass vocalist/mandolinist Tina Adair has a new perspective on life since gracing the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine in April 2023. While the physical evidence is apparent, the Grammy-nominated singer also underwent a metamorphosis that transformed her mental and emotional well-being, too. Adair’s successful weight loss journey has also had a…

True to themselves and Good as True Through their quarter-century together as a band, Yonder Mountain String Band has kicked down the door for string bands and redefined what is possible for acoustic groups in an electrified rock ‘n’ roll world.  Yonder emerged from the mountains of Nederland, Colorado in 1998 when guitarist Adam Aijala,…

Couldn’t Outrun The Blues If He Tried Blues and bluegrass go together like bourbon and branch water, and Trey Hensley fully embraces that musical connection. Nearly everything he’s done since starting out confirms that the blues and its kissin’ cousins, deep country and bluegrass, provide the foundation for his rootsy, fresh-from-the-mill bluegrass vocals and major…

Many bluegrass fans trace their introduction to the music to films such as O Brother! Where Art Thou? and Cold Mountain, or to Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken? recording project. For Norwegian band Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, their first taste of bluegrass came just as they had formed a band. Ten years…

Celebrates 60 Years  As the majority of bluegrass fans know, bluegrass music—as we know it today—was born the first time that Bill Monroe walked out on the Grand Ole Opry stage with Earl Scruggs as a member of his band in December of 1945.  Early in 1946, the “classic” bluegrass band—consisting of Bill Monroe, Chubby…

A Fiddler You Should Know Mason Wright is a fiddler who can play many different styles, including classical, country, and bluegrass.  He’s been a member of several bands, from traditional to contemporary, and has a teaching workload as well.  He’s serious about his music but has a humorous side, as reported by several former bandmates. …