Articles

By Russ Hooper and Randy Slacum Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 1967, Volume 1, Number 11 The typical bluegrass band consists of a bass, banjo, fiddle, (or mandolin) and guitar. Not typical, but included in some bands is the autoharp, harmonica, or the dobro guitar. The dobro was first made in San Francisco during…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine November 1981, Volume 16, Number 5 According to Webster’s: FLUX —to become fluid; a substance used to promote fusion. Put Jerry Douglas and his Dobro into a band—and you know how he got his nickname. Constantly complementing vocals and other soloists, or ripping off one of the dazzling breaks he…

Alan Munde Rises Above Convention with New Record “Excelsior” When Alan Munde was thinking of a name for his new collection of fifteen tunes building on his long-standing penchant for harmonic adventurousness and embrace of the melodic banjo style, he lit on one word: Excelsior. It’s a direct nod to a short Henry Wadsworth Longfellow…

Photo by  Scott Simontacchi One of the most innovative musicians and gifted producers of his generation, Jerry Douglas is at the point in his career of fifty years when he can do whatever he wants. A fifteen-time Grammy winner and the ten-time recipient of IBMA’s “Dobro Player of the Year” award, Douglas—along with Josh Graves,…

Ensuring A Bright Future For Bluegrass Photo By Angela Norton Nancy Cardwell Webster is no stranger to readers of Bluegrass Unlimited. The award-winning  Missouri native has written dozens of articles for BU through the years, including this edition’s cover story featuring resophonic guitar master, Jerry Douglas.  A prolific wordsmith, Nancy wrote her first story for…

Q: I’ve heard it said that the 1959 Folkways album Mountain Music Bluegrass Style was the first bluegrass album ever recorded.  I guess that means a set of songs and tunes recorded specifically to be released in album format.  Does that sound right to you?  I recall purchasing albums by the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe,…