Articles

Mountain Home Music There are lots of things that can be said about Imaginary Lines, the latest release from Unspoken Tradition. Several of the songs received early airplay and there’s been no shortage of ink run through presses about the album.  But this review can summarize things in two words: simply outstanding. First, there are…

Nearly two decades into their career, this self-described “genre-bending” rural North Carolina-based band, led by brothers Bryon and Fitz McMurray and cousin Steve McMurry, seems to have explored nearly every corner of the stylistic map at one time or another.   Their latest release manages to cover a little bit of everything from bluegrass-tinged acoustic…

Bluegrass Musician And Recording Impresario I have known Tom Mindte since the mid-1970s when he was a frequent patron of Shakey’s Pizza Parlor in Rockville, MD. My band, Appalachian Reign, played there on Saturday nights and he was one of our biggest fans. Tom grew up in a household that loved music. His Dad, Vance,…

Many skilled musicians just skirt the forefront of the listening public’s immediate recognition. But these are the musicians other artists call for session work, ask to stand-in when a band member is unavailable, or to select as part of a special show or short tour. These are the artists who analyze other musicians’ styles, record…

The award-winning banjo picker Kristin Scott Benson and her husband, mandolin great Wayne Benson, are what you might call a bluegrass power couple. After all, Kristin is a 5-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year and a recipient of the prestigious Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass as well as a long-time…

Queries Q: We’re having a little controversy in our bluegrass community regarding the definition of the title of the fiddle tune “June Appal.” Is it simply a misspelled reference to certain apples that will bloom early or is it a reference, somewhat in abbreviation, to the word Appalachia? Or is it something else? Hope you…