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IssueM Articles

Pixie & The Partygrass Boys (left to right): Ben Weiss, Katia “Pixie” Racine, Zach Downes, Amanda B. Grapes, Andrew Nelson. // Photo by Dave Vann

On The Fringe

Bands Blurring the Lines of Bluegrass For Pixie & the Partygrass Boys, one of the most important pillars of bluegrass is what drives the band. “Community is everything for us,” says Zach Downes. “It’s the reason we sit in a van for hours each day. To be able to connect with fans and different bands…

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Jerry Douglas and Tony Rice at IBMA in 2013 Photo by Todd Gunsher

Jerry Douglas Speaks

Editor’s Note:  This article is a continuation of the excerpt from the Jerry Douglas chapter of Bill Amatneek’s new book Discovering Tony Rice.  The first half ran in the December 2023 issue.  Regarding his interview with Jerry, Bill said, “Jerry Douglas was one of the most insightful people whom I interviewed for Discovering Tony Rice,…

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Kentucky Shine

This Owensboro, Kentucky-based band’s second album is one of those projects where all the pieces fall almost magically together. This owes to Kentucky Shine’s fine singing, playing and songwriting as well as their sure-handed grasp of the music’s thematic and instrumental traditions. Night Watch features two covers. One is a revival of the Osborne Brothers’…

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2024 Festival Guide

United States Arizona  Bluegrass on the Beach March 1-4, 2024 699 London Bridge Rd,  Lake Havasu City, Arizona 86403-4655 570-721-2760 www.bluegrassonthebeach.com Desert Bluegrass Festival  March 8-10, 2024 Gladden Farms Community Park 12205 N Tangerine Farms Rd. Marana, Arizona  www.desertbluegrass.org Dave Polston 520-245-6126 [email protected] Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival September 13-15 Ft…

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Blue & Gray

New Mexico’s Higher Ground Bluegrass is celebrating 25 years of music with this ninth project. The band was established in 1998 by Duke Weddington, banjo player and primary songwriter, and in the past the band has opened for such artists as Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Tim O’Brien, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Peter Rowan, and…

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Still Run

Originally from Michigan, Jeremy Rilko relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, after serving in the Air Force and graduating from Western Michigan University. It was while in the service and at college that he became enamored with bluegrass music. He has been a banjo player since he was 24, and was influenced by the likes of…

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