Articles

A Bluegrass Pioneer:Ralph Pennington North Carolina’s Vivian Pennington Hopkins made it her mission to share the legacy of her late father, Ralph Pennington. In doing so, she orchestrated the recording of an album and two music videos that pay homage to her dad’s many talents. A gifted songwriter, musician, and luthier, he helped formulate the…

In Dan Miller’s wonderful and thorough retrospective article on Don Reno found elsewhere in this edition of BU, he gets into the music side of this amazing IBMA Hall of Fame artist.  Here, after wonderful interviews with his sons, Ronnie, Don Wayne, and Dale Reno, I try to unveil Don Reno as a man and…

The Brooklyn-based trio Damn Tall Buildings has crafted a deep roots sound that, while tight, has enough rough edges to keep the music fresh, honest, and relatable. The band uses the soulful grooves of bluegrass and roots music to sing about the search for where we’re going, who we are, leaving home and coming home,…

Bands Blurring the Lines of Bluegrass “I’m just proud that we got something down on tape that really captures the vibe of the Keel Stickley Duo,”  explains guitarist Jon Stickley about he and fellow guitarist Larry Keel’s recently released self-titled EP.  “It’s a monumental live act, but had we never gotten the recording done, it…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine April 1996, Volume 30, Number 10 It was a cold and snowy December evening in 1980, when I happened upon, what was then, Partners 2 Restaurant in Centreville, Va. Just recently having relocated from upstate New York to Manassas, Va. I was checking out the local forms of entertainment. The…

The first word that comes to mind while listening to the new album from Aaron and Adam Bibelhauser and their band is “powerful.” There’s a confidence in the playing and singing that shines through every track. The guests on the album sound perfectly at home, adding their own unique flavors in support of the songs….