Articles

The Kentucky Colonels were as progressive and innovative as Billy Strings is today and Osborne Brothers were before them. The guitar magic—there’s no other word—conjured by Clarence White, melding with his older brother Roland’s dry, almost plaintive vocals and spot-on Monroe style mandolin, created a thrilling new sound. The highlight, to many fans was their…

Arkansauce had no genre borders in mind when they set out to record their fifth album OK to Wonder. As a rule, says bassist Tom Anderson, the band members write what they like and “it just comes out as it comes out; any sort of genre or descriptor comes afterwards,” he said, adding, “A lot…

White Oak Records  WO 106 Wisconsin’s Art Stevenson is not only an excellent harmonica player, but is also a good singer and guitarist. He is also the founding member of his band Art Stevenson and High Water, and he is the promoter of the Bluegrass in the Pines bluegrass festival and is busy as host…

Bluelight Records  BLR 332332 Led by Jussi Syren (mandolin, lead vocals), the Groundbreakers members hail from both Finland and Europe. Formed in 1995 the others in the group include Tauri Oksala (banjo, resonator guitar, vocals), J.P. Putkonen (guitar), and Tero Maenpaa (bass, vocals).  The group has toured around six European countries, and in the States,…

Returns Home to The Grascals Former Grascals lead singer Jamie Johnson is back with the group after leaving the band in 2015. Johnson was a founding member when The Grascals started as Dolly Parton’s road band. After ten years of touring, he decided to step down for help with his depression and alcohol addiction and…

Fiddler Justin Branum was one of these musicians.  Before the pandemic, Justin was on the road with Lee Ann Womack, but it wasn’t just the pandemic that prompted him to come off the road.  In 2019 he got married, had already been teaching fiddle for many years, and he had also had success producing a…