Articles

Progressively Traditional Bluegrass “Pioneers” Formed in 2014, the group brought together four talented young musicians in their twenties, from different parts of the country, with a desire to make a living doing something they loved while having a stable home life. Although their original expectations were low, their passion, energy, enthusiasm, and work ethic were high,…

Tad grew up in a suburban area of Philadelphia. At a young age he heard music playing inside his head without the aid of a radio or phonograph. He recalls that as a child he would skip along the sidewalk, avoiding the cracks, and hum the tunes he was hearing. He is sure that he…

DobroSinger Photo by Neale Eckstein You may think that DobroSinger must be a typo, however rest assured it is not.  Not only is it the title of Abbie Gardner’s new release, but it also serves as an excellent description of the style she has carved out for herself.  Dobro is an instrument that is largely…

Bob Minner Pays Tribute to Norman and Nancy Blake Although Bob Minner has spent the majority of his musical life over the past thirty years performing as a member of country star Tim McGraw’s band, he is still a bluegrass flatpicker at heart.  By the time he was twelve, Bob was studying the guitar playing…

If you’ve ever searched “Dobro Lessons” on YouTube, you’ve probably come across the lessons posted by “Dobro Joe” Wilson.  You can also find a couple of lessons from Joe on the lessons page of the Bluegrass Unlimited website.  While it is generally harder to find Dobro lessons than lessons for guitar, mandolin, banjo, or fiddle,…

Hatfield Delivers the Real McCoy It’s an age-old conundrum for anyone trying to learn a new instrument.  You first buy a cheap banjo, guitar or mandolin to see if you even enjoy playing it. The further you progress, and the more time you put in, the more your instrument’s shortcomings become apparent. Pretty soon you’re ready…