Articles

John William Hall was born on November 29, 1933 near Front Royal, Virginia and grew up on a small family farm. He went to the Washington, D.C. area in 1951 and soon became an important part of the area bluegrass scene. In 2005, Tom Mindte spoke with John in connection with a book he and…

Photo Courtesy of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine Yet what made Dudley unique is that, for as great of a picker as he was, he chose to take a life path away from music full time, which he certainly could have accomplished, and instead settled in Springfield, Missouri to raise a family and teach as an associate…

The Entertainer Photo by Gary Hatley Legendary performer, Ronnie Reno, readily agreed, “Little Roy Lewis is probably the best entertainer in bluegrass and gospel music. You never know what he’s going to do, but you know it will be wild and entertaining. He knows how to get your attention and brings out the funny side…

Someone Bluegrass Can Count On Photo by Sandlin Gaither At just 21 years old, Jaelee Roberts is off and running as fast as she can, chasing her musical dreams. Along with holding down the lead vocalist/guitar player position with the powerhouse band Sister Sadie, Jaelee released her debut solo CD Something You Didn’t Count On…

Photos by Johnny Calcagno There is no groove in American music quite as deep as the one laid down by a hard-driving old-time stringband in full roar. It doesn’t require trickeration or effects pedals or fancy lighting. It can’t be faked. The groove comes from the heart, and it comes from the soul.  The Onlies,…

A Gem From Coal Country’s Deep Heart Photo by Callie Thomas In today’s hyper-competitive custom luthier marketplace, excellence is only the price of admission for new mandolin builders. For an emerging luthier, getting noticed under the blinding luminescence of top-tier builders like Heiden, Kimble, Ellis, McClanahan and more means building instruments early in your career…