Articles

Although he left us when he was far too young, at the age of 58, Don Reno made an enormous impact on bluegrass music.  His work with the Morris Brothers, starting when he was just fourteen years old, his work with Bill Monroe after Scruggs left Monroe’s band, and his time spent with Arthur “Guitar…

There is a sound that belongs to Raleigh each fall. It rises from downtown streets and echoes between brick buildings. It carries the bright ring of mandolins, the warmth of fiddles, and the rhythm of a hundred tapping feet. It is the sound of bluegrass, and it is the sound of Raleigh Wide Open. Every…

Q: Can you please help? Since County Sales folded, I have been unable to find a good source for bluegrass CDs. Yes, I know about Amazon and Walmart, but County offered a single source with good service, fair prices, and multi-item discounts. And yes, I could order directly from the artists, but that would result…

In Dan Miller’s wonderful and thorough retrospective article on Don Reno found elsewhere in this edition of BU, he gets into the music side of this amazing IBMA Hall of Fame artist.  Here, after wonderful interviews with his sons, Ronnie, Don Wayne, and Dale Reno, I try to unveil Don Reno as a man and…

Bands Blurring the Lines of Bluegrass “I’m just proud that we got something down on tape that really captures the vibe of the Keel Stickley Duo,”  explains guitarist Jon Stickley about he and fellow guitarist Larry Keel’s recently released self-titled EP.  “It’s a monumental live act, but had we never gotten the recording done, it…

A Bluegrass Pioneer:Ralph Pennington North Carolina’s Vivian Pennington Hopkins made it her mission to share the legacy of her late father, Ralph Pennington. In doing so, she orchestrated the recording of an album and two music videos that pay homage to her dad’s many talents. A gifted songwriter, musician, and luthier, he helped formulate the…