Articles

Dr. Banjo Turns 80 As a kid growing up in the Bronx in the 1950s, Pete Wernick lived within a subway ride of Yankee Stadium. For 75 cents, he could get a seat in the bleachers and spend an afternoon cheering on his heroes — Mantle, Berra, Whitey Ford, et. al. While he did play…

Amy Gallatin (vocals, banjo, guitar) and Roger Williams (vocals, resonator guitar, guitars, bass) are two New England-based musicians who have been performing together for a number of years. “From The Heart” is the second incarnation of their Homespun recordings that continue to feature the pair in their duet presentations of the material, many of which…

For many years, John D’Agostino has been a prominent force in the music scene of Columbia, Missouri—a town smack dab between St. Louis and Kansas City. Columbia was home to the Roots and Blues Music festival, which hosted an array of blues, folk, country, and soul artists.  Being a college town, Columbia is also home…

The 145s (one forty-fives) are four Chicago-area musicians who got together in 2022 when they decided to combine their love of bluegrass music and its various styles and form a band. Led by Andy Miller (mandolin), the group includes Laird Patten (banjo), Elizabeth Loring (bass), and John Huber (guitar). Also on this project are guest…

At the end of the title track that opens her debut solo album Travel On, Vickie Vaughn calls, “My turn!” She may simply be taking the last break, but she effectively announces her time has come for bigger adventures too. Vaughn, named IBMA Bass Player of the Year for three consecutive years, still holds down…

One could say that Sourwood is truly an international band. While based in Ontario, Canada, other members are from Chicago and Los Angeles in the US. From Ontario are Lucas Last (vocals, guitar), Larry Johnson (banjo), and Last’s wife, Aubrey (guest vocals). Liam Lewis (mandolin) and Olivia Briedenthal (fiddle) come up from Los Angeles, and…