Articles

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…

THE COCKMAN FAMILY LETTER FROM HOME CF RECORDS BMI-07272 Since forming in 1988, this North Carolina family unit has recorded multiple projects that feature a gospel approach to their original tunes and covers of older lesser-known tunes. The Cockman Family is led by father John Cockman (guitar) with siblings Caroline Cockman Fisher (vocals), John Cockman,…

JAKE BLOUNT SPIDER TALES Free Dirt Records DIRT-CD-0007 Jake Blount is an award-winning banjo and fiddle player based in Providence, R.I., whose awards include becoming the first black artist to win the annual Appalachian String Band Music Festival in West Virginia. Blount studies and performs the music of black artists of the Southeast, and even…