Articles
IssueM Articles
Mason Via
Mason Via’s arrival on the scene as a solo artist has caused quite a stir, and deservedly so. He has an expressive and engaging tenor voice and a penchant for poignant original love songs with adroit lyrics and nearly irresistible hooks. The North Carolina native is an alumnus of Old Crow Medicine Show and his…
Neste Steg (Next Step)
Strengeplukk (“string plucking”) is the newest release from this talented band based in Stavanger, Norway. They consist of Andreas Barnes Onarhiem (mandolin, vocals), Jakob Folke Ossum (guitar, vocals), Mikael Jonassen (banjo, vocals), Nikolai Storevik (fiddle, vocals), and Vidar Starheimsaeter (bass, vocals). Formed in 2015, the group has become one of Norway’s top bluegrass bands combining…
Doc Watson—A Life In Music
University of North Carolina Press Book reviews can be very subjective based on the experience and perspective of the reviewer. Therefore, when I read a book review, I like to know something about the reviewer so I can understand what experience, connection, or knowledge the reviewer might have relating to the topic of the book. …
Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen
Published by McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers Wayne Erbsen is a familiar name to most bluegrass fans due not only to his musical performances and recordings but also for the many instructional books, historical books, songbooks, articles, and essays that he has written over the years. Many of his articles have appeared in Bluegrass Unlimited…
Where Do We Go From Here
The four members of this powerhouse group joined forces when they were all attending Western Connecticut State University. They are: Charlie Widmer, vocals and guitar; Austin Scelzo, vocals and fiddle (also a member of the esteemed New England band Rock Hearts); Tom Polizzi, vocals and mandolin and Matt Curley on bass. Even though this is…
Carter & Cleveland
A crusty old banjo player once quipped that twin fiddles are like cilantro; a little bit goes a long way. But longtime friends Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland and their roster of all-star players annihilate that snarky, uninformed comment in a single album. You will want to keep their new project, Cleveland & Carter, on…