Articles

Photo By Stephen Schauer John Reischman lives up in the woods. No, John’s home isn’t a log cabin high in British Columbia’s densely wooded Coast Range. The woods that nurture him and sing new melodies in his inner ear are the stately firs, hemlocks and huge lodgepole pines lining the regal British Columbian hiking trails…

Photos By Caty Smith If you’ve spent time around bluegrass festival jam sessions you may recall hearing someone in the jam who is as good as anyone that you’ve ever heard play and wonder, “Wow, who is this?”  There are many such local and regional bluegrass pickers and singers who are extremely talented but have…

This past year has been devastating for the music industry so it is welcoming when something positive emerges. With dreams of a bright future, Jake Goforth, a 14-year-old musical prodigy from central NC, is a beacon of hope. Jake’s musical journey began at age 7 when he petitioned his parents to take guitar lessons.  “Mom and Dad had CDs…

Photos by Bud Osborne “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture,” said musician-comedian Martin Mull in a line often misattributed to Frank Zappa. Same holds true for trying to describe a musical instrument’s sound. In wine culture, reviewers and sommeliers have a glossary accepted by consumers, with terms like ‘oakey’ or ‘full-bodied’ or ‘closed’…

Photo By Sterling Trantham Anne Luna, bassist for Steve Smith’s Hard Road Trio, grew up in a musical family living in eastern New Mexico.  She said, “There were always instruments out and available to play when I was a kid.  My dad was a multi-instrumentalist in country bands and my mom plays guitar and sings. …

Guitar Builder Angling for a Vintage Sound Balsam Range’s Caleb Smith brings an intensity to the stage that’s hard to miss in a live show. The guitarist usually provides a bookend to Grammy-winning banjo player Marc Pruett, who is usually grinning and swaying while picking. Smith is on the task at hand, hitting the notes with…