The Artists

Many skilled musicians just skirt the forefront of the listening public’s immediate recognition. But these are the musicians other artists call for session work, ask to stand-in when a band member is unavailable, or to select as part of a special show or short tour. These are the artists who analyze other musicians’ styles, record…

The award-winning banjo picker Kristin Scott Benson and her husband, mandolin great Wayne Benson, are what you might call a bluegrass power couple. After all, Kristin is a 5-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and a recipient of the prestigious Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass as well as a long-time…

Those lyrics were penned and recorded by North Carolina resophonic guitarist, Frank Poindexter, in 2004 (Dex Records – CD 001). “It’s The Music” was the title and first cut on his solo project that was re-released by Mountain Fever Records in 2022.  Frank said, “I want to acknowledge Mark Hodges (Mountain Fever Records). He’s a…

Any dyed-in-the wool fan of bluegrass fiddling will instantly recognize the names of such legendary fiddlers as Chubby Wise, Jim Shumate, Fiddlin’ Arthur Smith, Kenny Baker, and Bobby Hicks. The list goes ‘On and On,” as Bill Monroe would say.  One name you might not yet be familiar with is Aynsley Porchak. This young Canadian…

Photo by Katrina Burgoyne Don’t try to pigeon-hole Kristy Cox into one set category of music. The bluegrass artist/songwriter from the Land Down Under has a colorful singing voice that can cover traditional to contemporary to country. Born in Adelaide (capital city, 800,000 people), Australia, Cox grew up in a nearby mountainous country town of…

Impact on the Bluegrass Industry The brothers grew up in north central North Carolina near the site of the state’s first bluegrass festival, Camp Springs. They played at the first bluegrass festivals in Fincastle, VA, and appeared on Arthur Smith’s TV Show in Charlotte.  Terry elaborated, “We played as the Smith family. At Fincastle, I…