Articles

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 2008, Volume 42, Number 11 Bill Emerson is back. To the delight of his many fans and peers, he has recently returned to the bluegrass music scene and, this time around, playing in his own band—Bill Emerson & the Sweet Dixie Band. Debuting at the 2007 World Of Bluegrass…

Unfortunately, my diary ended on 8/31 so the rest of the tour (3 weeks) is based on a gig log, recording log and my memory.   Carlton Haney’s Labor Day Weekend Festival at Bluegrass Park in Camp Springs, North Carolina.   Mr. Carlton Haney held the first bluegrass festival in Fincastle, Virginia, on Labor Day Weekend in…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine March 1992  Volume 26, Number 9 William Hundley Emerson, Jr.’s name has become synonomous with unparalleled achievement and professionalism within the world of bluegrass music. A banjo virtuoso, Bill Emerson’s artistry, ability and creativity have earned him respect from both the critics and public alike. Among his achievements, Emerson founded…

Bluegrass music is about storytelling. All music is. Rooted in ancient ballads and country music story-songs, bluegrass songs (and tunes, too, to a lesser extent) tell us about the true life blues, the little cabin on the hill, the flag-covered casket, the walls of time. All of them are perfect three-minute stories.      …

Bluegrass Girl Photos courtesy of CDC Artists, Milton, Florida Amanda Cook and her band have become a household name and regulars on the bluegrass circuit. With three CD projects under her belt, a seven-year, five-CD project contract with Mountain Fever Records and recording engineer and producer job, it is clear that Cook has her own…

The Teenager Who Filled In for Earl Imagine that you are a high school kid who has learned how to play the banjo.  It is the mid-1950s and Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys are one of the hottest, tightest bluegrass bands in the country. You learned how to play the banjo because…