The Sound

The First Fifty Years All Photos Courtesy of Rounder Records Archives I bought my first Rounder album in 1974. I was a recent convert to bluegrass and Rounder was likewise a new entry in the field of bluegrass and old-time record labels. I continued to buy more Rounder albums and my immersion in bluegrass grew deeper and…

In the world of songwriting, finding the right co-writer can be a difficult task. Finding the right fit and building a relationship with other writers requires patience and is often compared to a marriage.  Many songwriters today prefer to spend time together in person creating lyrics to a melody. Publishing companies often unite writers in…

Photo By Natia Cinco Tristan Scroggins started playing professionally in a full-time touring bluegrass band when he was only fourteen years old (2009).  It was his father’s band—Jeff Scroggins and Colorado—and they loved to be on the road.  Tristan said, “I grew up in a strange situation of touring all of the time.  We started…

Photos by Bud Osborne “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture,” said musician-comedian Martin Mull in a line often misattributed to Frank Zappa. Same holds true for trying to describe a musical instrument’s sound. In wine culture, reviewers and sommeliers have a glossary accepted by consumers, with terms like ‘oakey’ or ‘full-bodied’ or ‘closed’…

Guitar Builder Angling for a Vintage Sound Balsam Range’s Caleb Smith brings an intensity to the stage that’s hard to miss in a live show. The guitarist usually provides a bookend to Grammy-winning banjo player Marc Pruett, who is usually grinning and swaying while picking. Smith is on the task at hand, hitting the notes with…

Photo By John Malinowski If  you travel to a foreign country, you can buy a travel guide, a map and a phrase book and head out on your own, or you can find someone who knows the language, geography, history, and customs and ask them for help.  The second option is usually the easiest, most…