Articles
IssueM Articles
Twisted Sage
Most folks don’t think of traditional, old time, or bluegrass fiddlers hailing from New York City. Longtime musician, session player, actor, and TV and movie soundtrack contributor Kenny Kosek is out to prove you can’t judge a book by where it was printed. Kosek’s new album, Twisted Sage, a collaboration with banjo maestro Tony Trischka…
Lester Flatt
Bluegrass Original Photos from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine archives Some bluegrass enthusiasts like to argue about how and when bluegrass music, as we know it today, was founded and by whom. Some will say that it was founded and developed by Bill Monroe. There is certainly a good solid argument for that point of view. Regardless…
Christmas Time Is Here
This accomplished band was founded by three alumni of the final line-up of Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver: Jerry Cole, Eli Johnston and Stephen Burwell. Most of the song choices here are utterly familiar: “Let It Snow,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” etc. But the results are…
IBMA 2024
Musicians and Community Support One Another Photos by Ricky Davis 2024 was preordained to be a bittersweet IBMA year, like a high school graduation, throwing caps in the air, fully realizing that the World of Bluegrass landscape as we knew it was about to change. After 12 years in Raleigh—a period long enough to be a…
Collings’ Hill Country Guitars
Formally announced at this year’s IBMA, Collings’ Hill Country Series of guitars continues the company’s move to stretch the acoustic guitar envelope by re-instituting labor-intensive hand-building construction components. The product of more than 24 months of research and development (resulting in multiple prototypes for both the D and OM sizes), the Hill Country line is…
The New Sound of Bluegrass America
The story of one of America’s greatest bluegrass bands begins in Maine in the French-speaking home of Eric and Mildred LeBlanc. The LeBlanc family was of French-Canadian stock from New Brunswick, Canada, and they were a musical lot. Three of the LeBlanc sons were especially musical. Sometime around 1950, the family began using the Anglicized…