Articles

If there was a bluegrass mandolin hall of fame, there is no doubt that John Reischman would have a plaque on the wall.  He is not only an extremely innovative player, but his clean notes, rich tone, fluidity and expert use of dynamics are what every serious mandolin player strives to achieve.  He has set…

One thing that fiddle player Betsy Heron, banjo player Gretchen Bowder, guitar player Whitney Roy and bass player Lindsay Lassonde have in common, is their love of Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard’s music as well as a mutual respect for the women themselves. In March of 2020 when they began to enjoy casually getting together for an…

Pick and Howl, winners of the 2022 Rockygrass band competition, cites its influences as coming from across the stylistic board: from Flatt & Scruggs and Billy Strings, to the Grateful Dead and Townes Van Zandt.   The band wears these influences well, with provocative original songs and robust vocals and harmonies underpinned by a super-charged…

Looking Forward Cindy Baucom is a true visionary in the bluegrass world. She is the host/producer of the weekly syndicated radio show, “Knee-Deep in Bluegrass,” as well as “Stained Glass Bluegrass” for BluegrassCountry Radio, which also airs in syndication weekly. The western North Carolina native is also an emcee, musician, singer, songwriter, bluegrass music historian,…

Finding Her Own Voice Photos by Laura E. Partain With her solid bass skills and impeccable vocals, two-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Vickie Vaughn is an in-demand hired gun. Her job is to create the sound other performers want to capture on records or on stage. But when she went into the studio…

Barbara Martin Stephens met Jimmy Martin in 1953 when Martin was working with Bill Monroe.  She lived with Jimmy Martin from 1953 until 1966.   Her story of that relationship was told in a book that the University of Illinois Press put out in 2017, titled Don’t Give Your Heart to a Rambler: My Life…