Articles

Rrinaco is a nickname that singer-songwriter Corrina Rose Logston Stephens acquired while in middle school in the 1990s. Growing up in Missouri, Stephens spent time listening to music, learning the fiddle, singing, and enhancing her efforts as a songwriter. She played and jammed locally with her parents and other artists.  Now living in Nashville, Tennessee,…

Guitarist Martin Gilmore hails from Denver, Colorado, and has become known for his sensitive playing and singing, as well as being a good songwriter. He is also an accomplished music educator. He is on the faculty of the University of Northern Colorado, where he holds classes in guitar, singing, and song composition. Additionally, he teaches…

In early August, I accompanied my wife to Minneapolis, where she was planning to attend a family reunion. I remembered that Adam Granger lived in the area, so I decided to try to book a guitar lesson from him. Although I have been a flatpicker for many years, I have never been satisfied with my…

The Wild East is not only the title of this new project, but it is also the name of the Western North Carolina band led by Michael Wayne Avery. On this new project, Avery plays mandolin, resonator guitar, is the lead vocalist, and the main songwriter. The band also includes Sam Gottlieb (guitar, vocals), Charles…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine April 2001, Volume 35, Number 10 Alison Brown is a recent Grammy award winning banjo player whose work has ranged to include jazz fusion, worldbeat, and cutting edge acoustic folk. On her latest album “Fair Weather” (Compass 742822), Brown wanted to bring it all back home to the roots of…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine February 1973, Volume 7, Number 8 It isn’t Smilin’Jim at all but actually Homer Robert, Jr. son of Bob Eanes a renowned old-time banjo picker from the small southwestern Virginia town of Mountain Valley. Mountain Valley is about fifteen miles from Martinsville in the heart of a circle of approximately…