Articles

Solitary Diamond Photo by Scott Simontacchi Solitary Diamond, the title of Laura Orshaw’s debut album, resonates on a number of levels. The words themselves come from a couple of songs from the project, but they refer to a concept, too. The songs on Solitary Diamond, she says, tell stories from different vantage points of those…

Color His Songs Red, White, And Blue And Emerald Green “Around 1990, [Rebel Records owner] Dave Freeman asked if I had any songs I’d like to send to Larry Sparks,” Ferguson recalls. “I sent ten songs. One day I received a letter from Larry Sparks. He said he liked about eight of those songs, and…

Celebrating 15 Years of Bringing Western North Carolina Bluegrass to the World Photo By Caty Smith When it comes to the top tier of bands that have found success in this uniquely-American music genre we call bluegrass, the story of the rise of Balsam Range is tale of good things coming from an impromptu house jam,…

First of Four Parts Part One Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 1991, Volume 25, Number 11 Once upon a time, in a land far from the birthplace of bluegrass music, lived a group of young college students who became the first bluegrass band in the San Francisco Bay area. It was the late ’50s….

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine November 1971, Volume 6, Number 5 Everyone professing an enduring interest in bluegrass has at some point in time been confronted with the question, “Who is your favorite group?” Most of us of course in responding to this query, muse for a moment or two, utter one or two “well’s”,…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine February 1984, Volume 18, Number 8 Chris Hillman has made rock history, but he has given up the glitter of the pop music world to return to his musical roots in bluegrass. His lovely Sugar Hill LP, “Morning Sky,” is a clear demonstration of his commitment to acoustic-based country music….