The Sound

Jim & Jesse McReynolds and Lucille Hutton The late Jesse McReynolds (1929-2023) was well known for his unique style of mandolin playing and the beautiful vocals he brought to Jim & Jesse and The Virginia Boys. He was also a prolific songwriter – a fact that’s under-recognized by many bluegrass listeners. This from Chris Jones…

The Best Way to Get Young Kids Started on Stringed Instruments There are many equivalences that one can make between learning a musical instrument and learning a language.  In fact, studies have shown that if a person learns to play a musical instrument when they are young, their brain processes it like a language, using its…

Photo by Bud Osborne Over the last four decades, Australia’s Paul Duff has earned mention in mandolin and bluegrass circles as one of the premier mandolin-family builders. His instruments, which range from an A4-style mandolin to outrageous feats of luthiery like recreating one of Orville Gibson’s early, highly ornate archtop guitars in exacting detail, reflect…

by Guy Clark and Shawn Camp “It has a charm about it … there’s something about the lilt and the sentiment in that song that quiets an audience. I don’t understand it, but it’s there,” said Shawn Camp of his cowrite with Guy Clark, “Magnolia Wind.” That charm of the song’s melody and lyrics has…

Fiddler Justin Branum was one of these musicians.  Before the pandemic, Justin was on the road with Lee Ann Womack, but it wasn’t just the pandemic that prompted him to come off the road.  In 2019 he got married, had already been teaching fiddle for many years, and he had also had success producing a…

There is a mystique around guitars built prior to World War II in what is widely considered the golden age of guitars.  If you have ever heard someone pick a Martin or Gibson from that era, then you know they are something special. Guitars from that period are prized by players and collectors alike, and…