The Sound

The Banjo Sound  Never Gets Old If you were to picture someone sitting outdoors picking on a five-string banjo, the setting that comes to mind would probably be somewhere in the southern regions of the United States—most likely in the area of southern Appalachia—as opposed to say, southern California.  Southern California and banjos are not…

It just makes sense that the finest musical instruments would be comprised of premier quality parts assembled and crafted by experienced luthiers, and that’s the foundation of Bradford and Company’s Hawthorn™ brand of instruments. If retired lawyer Glenn Bradford can’t find a particular part that meets his quality standards he will make it himself or…

“I don’t know how much of this you can share, but I’ll tell you,” joked Larry Cordle about the story behind one of his earliest compositions.   “Two Highways” dates back to the late 1970s—a pivotal period in the life of this renowned songwriter.  It was recorded first by his childhood friend and musical mentor…

And His Fabulous Fiddle Shop Many of the artists that we interview in Bluegrass Unlimited grew up in musical families.  The majority of them are raised in southeastern regions of the United States where bluegrass and country music was played in their homes from the time they were born.  California native Phil Salazar also grew…

Putting Together The Pieces   Photos Courtesy of Bil Vorndick Bil VornDick, audio engineer/producer to the stars, summarized his role in the studio and music industry, “I’m there to help people and I’m good at putting together puzzles. I like putting it together so people will enjoy listening to it.”  VornDick’s puzzles have garnered him…

Any tribute to The Stanley Brothers calls for an inside look at a favorite Stanley Brothers song. I’m not the expert some are on The Stanley Brothers or Ralph Stanley, but I’ve always enjoyed their lonesome, high-in-the-mountains sound on songs like “Rank Stranger,” “Angel Band,” and so many others. In looking back through some of…