Articles

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine June 1993, Volume 27, Number 12 During the summer and fall of 1991 while conducting fieldwork in the Rosine and Horton area of Ohio County, Ky., I found pictures and stories of Pen Vandiver scarce. One day an informant (anonymous) told me Vandiver boarded with the Clarence Wilson family for…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine December 1994, Volume 29, Number 6 Andrea Zonn is one of the most gifted singers and one of the most accomplished fiddle players working today. She made her mark in bluegrass as a member of the Tony Trischka/ David Grier band, which evolved into the Big Dogs, and then shot…

Putting The Right Pieces Together Individual photos by Jeromie Stephens Take bluegrass A-listers: Don Rigsby, Josh Williams, Mike Anglin, Ron Block, and Steve Thomas. Individually, each is talented, versatile, and well-known throughout the bluegrass community. Collectively, they form a powerhouse group that is destined to have a huge impact upon the bluegrass industry. Meet Southern…

If there was a bluegrass mandolin hall of fame, there is no doubt that John Reischman would have a plaque on the wall.  He is not only an extremely innovative player, but his clean notes, rich tone, fluidity and expert use of dynamics are what every serious mandolin player strives to achieve.  He has set…

Béla Fleck, Casey Driessen and Bryan Sutton Lead Their Own Music Camps in the Western North Carolina Mountains  The mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina, is located less than a half hour’s drive from Asheville, and while the latter city still provides the bigger music scene known worldwide, Brevard is rising as well. Some of…

Barbara Martin Stephens met Jimmy Martin in 1953 when Martin was working with Bill Monroe.  She lived with Jimmy Martin from 1953 until 1966.   Her story of that relationship was told in a book that the University of Illinois Press put out in 2017, titled Don’t Give Your Heart to a Rambler: My Life…