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Photo by Aaron Clark Photography Some family musical partnerships are marked as much by personal conflict as by blood harmony. This is not the case with The Petersens, a family bluegrass band that has become a favorite in Branson, Missouri. With four siblings as the core of the band, anchored by their parents, both musicians,…

This is a nice traditional project by this Kentucky-based brother duo, which highlights not only some other ‘brother acts,’ like the Delmore’s, Louvin’s, and Stanley’s, but also features selections from such folks as Bill Monroe, Roy Acuff, Scotty Wiseman, and others.  Twins brothers Adam and Aaron have gathered together some great side men to round…

And the Free-Strings Curriculum Several weeks ago I received a press release from Turnberry Records announcing their launch of a new “Education Division.”  The release explained that the first launch of the new division was called “Free Strings—Join The Jam.”  They stated that in initiating this curriculum they were partnering with fiddler Annie Savage, veteran performer…

Headwaters of a Legend Born December 30, 1937, in New York City, John Cowan Hartford grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where he cultivated a passion for the Mississippi River and music.  Upon seeing Flatt & Scruggs perform live at the Chain of Rocks Amusement Park in St. Louis in 1953, John was immediately drawn…

by Molly Tuttle and Melody Walker “It’s about embracing what makes us unique,” said Molly Tuttle of her hit song, “Crooked Tree,” which, among other accolades, is this year’s winner by a large margin in the Bluegrass Unlimited Reader’s Poll (Favorite New Song Category).  Cowritten by Tuttle and Melody Walker (Front Country), “Crooked Tree” is the…

If you take an ailing bass fiddle into Bob Beerman’s shop for repairs, you feel as if you are entering an operating room. The instrument is gently laid upon a table in the back room then one employee examines the patient while another hovers with a clipboard jotting down its diagnosis. Beerman is the veteran…