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Heading South

Jason Hannan is originally from Mississippi, but resides in Frederick, Maryland, where he is a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, and has played with several D.C. area groups like Clear Spring, Crop Dusters, and others. He plays guitar, mandolin, and bass, and he is joined on this project by his wife, Michelle Hannan (vocals, harmonica), Howard…

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Flicker Of Love

Cast Iron was formed in 2019 and calls the Ashville, North Carolina area home. The members include Nick Dauphinais (mandolin), Andrew Blythe (banjo), Rob Sine (guitar), and Celia Millington-Wyckoff (bass), and for this project they have included fiddler James Schlender.  The band’s pedigrees include stints with Mountain Faith, Larry Stephenson Band, Blue Wheel Drive, Whetstone…

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In the Moment with Rebecca Frazier

Photos By Scott Simontacchi The unintentional decade-long wait between the release of Rebecca Frazier’s last album When We Fall (in 2013) and her latest Boarding Windows in Paradise (in 2024) reflects Rebecca’s continued maturation as an artist in the face of modern life. Boarding Windows in Paradise – currently #4 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums…

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Ron Thomason at High Mountain Hay Fever 2024. // Photo by Kevin Slick

The Space Between

I called Ron Thomason on his eightieth birthday, September 5th, to schedule an interview for Bluegrass Unlimited. I had just recently reviewed his latest album, Ancient Songs Et Al. I had also watched the recent documentary about Ron and the Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Court Jester. I had read numerous articles highlighting Thomason’s many…

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Birdsongs Of The American West

This is the fourth project from this Southwestern Colorado group, and is a collection of original material that reflects the feeling and sounds of the San Juan Mountains near where the band lives. The Birds are Anneke Dean (violin, guitar), Alex Paul (guitar, resonator guitar, bass), Eric Shedd (bass, guitar, mandolin), and Jack Tolan (mandolin,…

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Orchard Creek Band poses in front of the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountain range at High Mountain Hay Fever. // Photo by Vicki Quarles

A Good Time for a Good Cause

When a few families in the Wet Mountain Valley of southern Colorado took note of the lack of children’s health services in the early 2000s they did what most people with the means to help might do, they donated money to the local clinic to be used by anyone who needed financial assistance. A year…

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