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Photos By Shelley Swanger Providing a combination of sales, repairs, rentals, workshops, performances, and musical fellowship, The Violin Shop has been the choice of Nashville’s finest fiddlers for over 30 years. Meeting the needs of four- (and even five-) string devotees from bluegrass to classical, Celtic to old-time, The Violin Shop (at 2504 8th Avenue…

Photos By Bud Osborne Modern bluegrass mandolin players differ in many ways from their predecessors. Emerging players are more open to non-conventional bluegrass instruments, such as the lightweight Nechville banjo or the thin-bodied Bourgeois Guitars Odyssey Dreadnought played on stage by Andy Falco. Even Monroe acolyte Andy Statman joined that trend several years ago when…

Justin Moses Mountain Fever Records MFR-110100 If ever there was a “showcase album,” Justin Moses’ Fall Like Rain fits the bill.  Many artists write songs for and sing on their albums, but not that many also play EVERY INSTRUMENT.  Add to that an all-star lineup of bluegrass performers and you have a top-shelf CD. Moses…

Troy Engle Rocky Glen Music RGM-320 Fox Hollow, legendary singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall’s rustically elegant estate near Franklin, Tennessee, was often a gathering place for his extended musical family. ` For quite a long time during his formative years, Troy Engle, a well-credentialed singer, songwriter and picker who now heads his own accomplished bluegrass band,…

Stephen Mougin Dark Shadow Recording Stephen Mougin’s recent release, Ordinary Soul, is his highest-profile entry to date. He’s flown somewhat under the radar as the long-time guitarist in the Sam Bush Band, but with this entry, Steve has established credentials as a top-notch singer, songwriter and producer. Mougin’s warm, expressive voice and dazzling guitar chops…

Alan Sibley &  Anthony Howell  Noxubee Hills Music Group NOX-CD-002 I expected that those who are connected in business associations would speak well of each other in the media. It’s good public relations.  Sometimes, those PR statements hit the nail flush.  This is true in the case of Deering Banjo Company CEO Jamie Deering who…