The Artists
Herb Pedersen
California Bluegrass Pioneer Herb Pedersen’s life was utterly transformed—in the blink of an eye—in a record store on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California. There he was, a fresh-faced, guitar-playing teenager flipping through records in the folk music section, studying the newest release by the Kingston Trio. Suddenly, a stranger was standing by his side. He…
Abbie Gardner
DobroSinger Photo by Neale Eckstein You may think that DobroSinger must be a typo, however rest assured it is not. Not only is it the title of Abbie Gardner’s new release, but it also serves as an excellent description of the style she has carved out for herself. Dobro is an instrument that is largely…
From the Bluegrass Cardinals to Carolina Road
Photo by Laura Ridge On the cover of the May 1976 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited there appears a group of unknown bluegrass musicians along with the words “Bluegrass Cardinals.” The title of that cover story, written by Frank Godbey, was “Who in the World are the Bluegrass Cardinals?” The world would soon find out. The…
Journey of a Bluegrass Fiddler
Tad grew up in a suburban area of Philadelphia. At a young age he heard music playing inside his head without the aid of a radio or phonograph. He recalls that as a child he would skip along the sidewalk, avoiding the cracks, and hum the tunes he was hearing. He is sure that he…
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Progressively Traditional Bluegrass “Pioneers” Formed in 2014, the group brought together four talented young musicians in their twenties, from different parts of the country, with a desire to make a living doing something they loved while having a stable home life. Although their original expectations were low, their passion, energy, enthusiasm, and work ethic were high,…
Ben Greene
Bluegrass Sideman Photos By Laura Ridge “I am very blessed to have spent my whole life doing what I love with deepest passion,” Ben Greene professed after a recent show. What has he been doing his whole life? Playing music, mostly picking banjo for his livelihood. Greene has played the last sixteen years with the…