Articles

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…

with Greg Cahill and Ben Wright To understand how bluegrass in Chicago has changed over the years, I had the pleasure of chatting with two of the best banjo players based in the city. I spoke with Ben Wright of the Henhouse Prowlers, a progressive-leaning bluegrass band with an international and educational focus entering its third…

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,…

Don Stover’s Banjo Recently, Bluegrass Unlimited editor Dan Miller conducted an interview with singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale for a BU podcast. During their discussion, the subject of Don Stover’s banjo came up, and whatever happened to it. The banjo appeared on a number of Don’s albums from the early 1970s, most notable was the classic Things…

If you haven’t already heard about the Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, you soon will!   Based in Northern California, the band consists of four members: Teo Quale on mandolin, Miles Quale on fiddle, Andrew Osborn on bass and Ian Ly on guitar. The band embarked on a ten-day tour of Japan in March/April of 2023,…

The Earl Scruggs Center Launches a New Exhibit in 2024 January 6th, 2024, will mark 100 years since the birth of banjo legend Earl Scruggs.  This milestone provides all bluegrass music fans a reason to look back and remember Earl’s contribution to the banjo and to bluegrass. The Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, North Carolina,…