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Bryan Sutton Rules
Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine August 2000, Volume 35, Number 2 On a record that became a turning point for bluegrass, a particular Bryan Sutton solo likewise became a turning point for the brilliant young guitarist. The disc was Ricky Skaggs’ “Bluegrass Rules,” the CD that showed the world at large the immense vitality and…
The Mountain City Fiddlers’ Convention Celebrates 100 Years
Photo Courtesy of Roy M. Andrade The tiny Appalachian town of Mountain City, Tennessee (population around 2,500), sits in the northeastern corner of the state, about halfway between Bristol, Tennessee, and Boone, North Carolina. At 2,418 feet, it is the highest incorporated town in Tennessee, and the county seat for Johnson County, in one of…
The IBMA Celebrates 40 Years as a Bluegrass Music Organization
We Interview Some of the People Involved with All Stages of the IBMA’s History Photos Courtesy of IBMA It was in 1985 that the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) was officially formed, which makes 2025 its 40th anniversary year. In this article, we are not going to do a deep dive into the logistics and…
Hammons Family Banjo & Fiddle Contest and World Class Jam Returns to Rural West Virginia
Photos by Will Price When it comes to the rich history of American roots music that collectively pre-dated and led to the creation of bluegrass in 1945, local culture and geography were key to different styles arising. That phenomenon often happens with music that organically evolves, no matter the genre. In the 1700s and 1800s,…
Notes & Queries – September 2025
Q: I’ve been listening to recordings by Larry Sparks (Ramblin’ Guitar, Pine Tree 500) and Lee Allen (“Beer, Whiskey, and Women” and “The Old Home Place,” Jalyn 45-356), all of which feature the mandolin work of David Cox. Did he appear on any other recordings? What can you tell me about his life in music?…
Bryan Sutton & Billy Strings
Two Masters of Flatpicking Join Forces Photos by Joshua Black Wilkins Years ago I wrote an article about Norman Blake and stated that if there were a Mt. Rushmore for flatpicking guitar, the players whose faces would be carved in that mountain would be Doc Watson, Clarence White, Dan Crary, Norman Blake and Tony Rice….