Articles

University of Illinois Press Don’t let the subtitle of this important book possibly turn you away. Yes, potent blends of electrified country and rock provided cornerstones for the “Americana” genre, a comparatively recent musical edifice. (The Americana Music Association wasn’t founded until 1999, and a matching Grammy Awards category had to wait another decade.)  But…

Any tribute to The Stanley Brothers calls for an inside look at a favorite Stanley Brothers song. I’m not the expert some are on The Stanley Brothers or Ralph Stanley, but I’ve always enjoyed their lonesome, high-in-the-mountains sound on songs like “Rank Stranger,” “Angel Band,” and so many others. In looking back through some of…

Photos by Jamie Alexander For many of us, the first-generation bluegrass pioneers were the link that pulled on our heart strings and gave us a lifetime infatuation for bluegrass music. Whether it be Flatt and Scruggs, Monroe, The Stanley’s, Reno and Smiley—or whoever it may have been—it seems that each individual connects in some way…

Leave all expectations at the door, put on Hell on Church Street and let the Punch Brothers take you on an unique tribute to the late legend Tony Rice with an inspiring take on his classic record; Church Street Blues. Hell on Church Street by the Punch Brothers brings to bear what Tony Rice always…

East Nash Grass is one of a growing number of bands composed of young pickers trying to elbow their way onto the scene, offering sounds that provide yet another wrinkle to the question, “What bluegrass is?” With a debut album of the same name, East Nash Grass not only shows fresh playing, but original music….

Bluegrass veteran Don Rigsby’s reputation speaks for itself. The award-winning musician has been a member of top bluegrass music groups including The Bluegrass Cardinals, JD Crowe and The New South, and the Lonesome River Band. A two-time Grammy nominee, Rigsby has won two SPBGMA “Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year” awards, multiple IBMA trophies, and…