Articles
IssueM Articles
Talk Of The Town
This is the tenth release for this North Carolina couple, who have become one of bluegrass music’s extremely popular duos. Darin Aldridge is a well-known multi-instrumentalist while Brooke Aldridge is IBMA’s four-time Female Vocalist of the Year. Their nominations and awards are many and they have performed at venues nation-wide, including many appearances on the…
Notes of Life
Eddie Lightner is a Baltimore, Maryland, native who became enamored with the mandolin after hearing and watching players like Ronnie McCoury and Chris Thile. He became good enough to spend time playing with the Baltimore Mandolin Orchestra. He also performed around the East Coast with the FolkenPhunk band. On this project, Lightner (mandolin, vocal) is…
Cast a Lonesome Shadow
Armed with a clear, invigorating tenor voice and a boatload of talent, Larry Stephenson shoots for the stars with Cast a Lonesome Shadow. Modeled in the form of traditional bluegrass, this record is packed with twists and turns. Stephenson isn’t afraid to incorporate blues, folk and ragtime, thus making his own stamp on the genre…
Carley Arrowood
Fiddling and Singing New Colors of Bluegrass With the March 2024 release of Colors, her second album for the Mountain Home Music label, Newton, North Carolina-based band leader Carley Arrowood is singing and fiddling her way into the hearts of a growing fan base. After graduating from high school, Arrowood toured the world as a…
A Young Band On The Rise
It is not unusual for older folks to look at the younger generations coming up behind them and feel as though those youngsters don’t know anything about working hard or honoring tradition. It is an old story but, like all stereotypes, not always true. If you have ever found yourself having negative thoughts about young…
Remembering Frank Wakefield
Photos by Jeromie Stephens Franklin Delano Roosevelt “Frank” Wakefield (June 26, 1934 – April 26, 2024) was an “authentic certified musical genius. He is the only man to build a complete, original mandolin style on the Monroe base.” Columnist Bill Vernon made that assessment in the pages of Muleskinner News magazine in 1972 when he…