Articles

Volume Five is based in Mississippi and since 2008 has become quite a popular band with a unique approach to bluegrass music. The group on this new project consists of Patton Wages (banjo), Aaron Ramsey (mandolin, octave mandolin, bass), Jeff Partin (bass, resonator guitar), Jacob Burleson (guitar), and Glen Harrell (fiddle). Collectively the band has…

Anyone who has followed Junior Sisk’s career knows what a wonderful traditional bluegrass singer he is. From Virginia’s Blue Ridge area, Sisk cites influences like the Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, Dave Evans, and The Johnson Mountain Boys. Sisk was the founder of the successful and award-winning Rambler’s Choice, and he was awarded SPBGMA’s 2017 “Male…

An American Treasure    Photos by Mike England   In this day and age of shake-and-bake stardom, reality television, and fifteen minutes of fame seekers it is comforting and refreshing to know that there are still authentic individuals out there diligently working at their craft and continuing to leave their mark and make a difference. …

Deeply relatable in lyric yet firmly fun in its delivery, “Everybody’s Got a Line,” written by Chris Jones and recorded by Chris Jones and The Night Drivers (Make Each Second Last, 2021), is a standout relationship song in today’s endless sea of relationship songs.  Written early in 2021, the song became a milestone for Chris…

Like a lot of folks that grew up in the last century, the Graves family moved north from the Appalachian region looking for work. While Tellico Plains, Tennessee, was the home base for future bluegrass musician Tim Graves, his Dad decided to move the family to Michigan when he was a very young kid. During…

Bluegrass is a genre of music that’s been evolving since it first came out of the oven.  The original recipe created by master chef Bill Monroe had five cornerstone ingredients:  mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo, and bass.  When Josh Graves joined Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1955, he introduced a…