The Sound

A Bluegrass Pioneer:Ralph Pennington North Carolina’s Vivian Pennington Hopkins made it her mission to share the legacy of her late father, Ralph Pennington. In doing so, she orchestrated the recording of an album and two music videos that pay homage to her dad’s many talents. A gifted songwriter, musician, and luthier, he helped formulate the…

In early August, I accompanied my wife to Minneapolis, where she was planning to attend a family reunion. I remembered that Adam Granger lived in the area, so I decided to try to book a guitar lesson from him. Although I have been a flatpicker for many years, I have never been satisfied with my…

On June 22, 1989, at the Roma in Telluride, Colorado, during the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival, the seeds of what would become the modern jamgrass scene were first planted.  On stage was Vince Herman’s Cajun jug band, the Salmon Heads.  Joining them were a couple of friends from the Left Hand String Band, Drew Emmitt…

The name Wayne C. Henderson is synonymous with the finest guitar construction in the world. Henderson has received many accolades over the years, and having a school of arts named after him is only befitting for a man of his caliber. The Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts (The Henderson), in Marion, Virginia, is…

Sis Draper, one of the most beloved bluegrass song characters in recent years, has returned to tell us a little more about her life and music through a concept album co-written by Shawn Camp and Guy Clark, The Ghost of Sis Draper, released September 12 on the Truly Handmade Records label.  Sis Draper was a…

Explores Pre-Bluegrass Flatpicking Guitar  Cameron Knowler, an expert on pre-bluegrass guitar styles, wants you to know that guitars have feelings, too. So much so that he’s written a brilliant guitar method book by that same name. To support that and his many other projects, Knowler created a private press and webstore called Rural Guitar to…