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Powerful Original Bluegrass Music Photos By Jason Myers For most of her life, eight-time IBMA award winner Becky Buller has been in a band, but she has been sidelined since mid-March when the pandemic forced the cancellation of shows.  “It’s been just awful,” the fiddler/vocalist said from her Manchester, TN home. “Things you probably wouldn’t…

Photo By Ben Bateson Tim Stafford was named IBMA Songwriter of the Year in 2014 and 2017, tapped for co-writing the IBMA Song of the year in 2008, and in 2020 has been again nominated for Song of the Year as co-writer (with Steve Gulley) of “Both Ends of the Train.” As guitarist for Blue…

A number of today’s top bluegrass guitar players are playing guitars that have been built by the crew at Preston Thompson Guitars in Sisters, Oregon.  The Master Luthier who started this company, Preston Thompson, sadly passed away in April of 2019.  Although Preston is no longer with us, the luthiers who worked with him are continuing his legacy building…

Bill Monroe was not only known for his music but also for his one-line words of wisdom. “It ain’t no part of nothin’,” “Pie please,” and “You can’t hurt ham,” just to name a few.  Another of Bill’s quotes was, “No, you back up.” Over the years, stories have been told about the origin of…

THE ROE FAMILY SINGERS ROLL UP THE RUG! Bonfire Music Group BRC5016 The Roe Family Singers are Kim Roe on vocals, autoharp, banjolele, washboard, and spoons and Quillan Roe on vocals, banjo, and archtop guitar. There are nine other folks playing a variety of instruments, including musical saw and kazoo (uncredited). There are two original…

DYLAN McCARTHY LOST & FOUND No Label No Number This seven-track recording takes us through a range of originals all featuring McCarthy’s fine mandolin playing. With prior experience with classical piano and time spent at Berklee College of Music, we are treated to the new sounds that are modern bluegrass. There are elements of jazz…