Articles

All who love to explore bluegrass music’s history in depth are aware (or arguably should be!) of the longstanding and ever-growing series of books devoted to “Music in American Life,” published by the University of Illinois Press since 1972. As a whole, the catalog of books explores all forms of American vernacular music, documenting not…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine May 1973, Volume 7, Number 11 The sprawling, desolate Texas plains have never been the spawning ground of bluegrass talent that the Appalachians have. Involved for years with its own gift of genius to American music Western Swing Texas has made bluegrass music fight hard for a toehold out there,…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine February 1989, Volume 23, Number 8 David “Dawg” Grisman is back in the bluegrass once again with a new two record album featuring the likes of Red Allen, Del McCoury, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, Herb Pedersen, Bobby Hicks, Tony Rice, Curly Seckler, J.D. Crowe, Sam Bush,…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine June 1983, Volume 17, Number 12  Ola Belle Reed has just completed a Sunday morning Gospel set with husband Bud and son David at the 1982 Brandywine Mountain Music Convention. She sits in the performer’s tent behind the stage resting, as her admiring fans come up to greet her and…

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine November 1988, Volume 23, Number 5 This article was obtained in a rather unusual setting. Wilma Lee Cooper was playing a festival with Bill Monroe which was held at a county fairground. As this lovely and talented lady came off stage she came to me and said, “Just as soon…

“High on a mountain, wind blowing free  Thinking about the days that used to be High on a mountain, standing all alone Wondering where the years of my life have flown” 1 These iconic lyrics by Ola Belle Reed are a right of passage for any bluegrass singer or band.  “I’ve endured, I’ve endured, How…