The Sound

John Holder’s Good Ears Are Apparent In Blue Ridge Sound

Sound systems are an integral part of any musical event. No matter how talented the musicians, they are dependent on competent sound engineers to make sure their instruments and voices are heard in the best possible way. North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Sound, owned and operated by John Holder, is a valuable commodity for promoters and…

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Kevin Fennessey with his restored 1922 Gibson A-2 Mandolin

Restoring a Special 1922 Gibson A-2 “Snakehead” Mandolin

My love for everything mandolin started 60 years ago at age 16, when I bought my first Orpheum A model .  Since that time I have bought and sold many mandolins through the years. Oddly enough, my playing doesn’t come close to what it should be after all that time!  This story is not about…

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Kentucky Morning by Darrell Scott

Written by multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Darrell Scott (“You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive”), “Kentucky Morning” is a decidedly southern song that oozes family—and Kentuckian—pride. Scott has just released the song on his album Old Cane Back Rocker (August 2023). It was also released by the late, great Kentucky native…

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TylerGrant & ArtistWorks

Photo by Jessie Bell Photography/Adrift Dinosaur Background Tyler Grant has been a name familiar to flatpicking guitar players since he emerged onto the acoustic music scene in the early 2000s performing with bands like Adrienne Young, the Two-Stringers (with Christopher and Casey Henry), Canadian fiddler April Verch, old-time banjo player Abigail Washburn, and the Drew…

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A Little Bit of Bluegrass

Photo by Jackie Stewart “A little bit of bluegrass will chase your blues away.” Derived from that simple sentiment and written by David Stewart, “A Little Bit of Bluegrass” was released late last year by Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road. Currently, it sits at #1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Survey chart (June and July 2023). …

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The Bluegrass Jamboree

This month’s cover story artist, Lorraine Jordan, loves to shine the spotlight on other people in her life including the radio announcers who play her music. Two of those broadcast professionals are David Pugh and Doug Whitley from The Bluegrass Jamboree internet radio. David hosts Mountain Bluegrass Sundays 9:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. ET, and Doug is…

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