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Béla Fleck Signature Banjo I am excited about the new Béla Fleck Model from Gold Tone that today’s top 5-string banjo player, Béla Fleck and Wayne Rogers from Gold Tone have designed. Now anyone can take advantage of Béla’s expertise in tone and set up, which is extensive. Wayne explained to me all the detailed…

Stuck Loving You How are young actors in Hollywood different from young musicians in bluegrass? While the answers are many, one big difference is that child actors often end up on those “Where Are They Now?” specials, often showing their mugs shots for breaking and entering; young bluegrass musicians tend to turn into adult bluegrass…

Pushing Piles of Words Together Photo by Chasity Chen In the Present The singer/songwriter shared, “Some of the most impactful moments in my life included having people walk up to me after a set, with tears streaming down their faces, as they recounted the death of a loved one that I made them think about…

A Transatlantic Delight There is something special about some musical partnerships.  Think about Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, Sonny and Bobby Osborne, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Sierra Hull and Justin Moses or Tony Rice and Ricky Skaggs, to name just a few dynamic duos. They all have a chemistry and a sound uniquely their…

Dan Tyminski’s tribute CD to guitar master Tony Rice, unlike another recent Rice “tribute” CD that featured loud drums, electric guitar and other extraneous non-bluegrass influences, relishes the soulful vocals, brilliant guitar flatpicking, and sense of taste Rice brought to every project.      Here, Tyminski opens with the classic, “Church Street Blues,” showcasing Dan…

In a press release accompanying his fifth and latest album with Dirty Kitchen there is, amidst a listing of his and the band’s many awards and accolades, a telling quote:  “I was going through the hardest time of my life leading up to the pandemic. Then the world stopped.”  Solivan further relates that the songs…