Articles

As a youngster in Yucaipa, California, Sonia Shell discovered the banjo. Today, she’s a sought-after musician and in-demand instructor on the California scene.   Shell’s fine new album serves as a “how-to” of sorts. She clearly enjoys the public domain classics, uses them in her instruction and has included a fair number of them here…

Mac Martin is considered to be one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. Growing up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, he learned to play guitar and perform locally. After high school and a term in the Navy, he formed the Pike County Boys in the late 1940’s and later formed the Dixie Travelers around 1955….

Sponsor of Multifaceted Enrichment and Opportunity The June issue of Bluegrass Unlimited included an article about the history and summer Traditions Weeks of Common Ground on the Hill, an initiative founded thirty years ago by Walt Michael on the campus of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.  That article promised this concluding part two to feature…

The Colorful Origins of the Songs of Bluegrass Music Bluegrass roots run deep. Many of the songs picked and sung on bluegrass stages predate the band members by generations. Several sailed across the ocean with the early immigrants from England, Scotland and Ireland. As settlers ventured out from Jamestown and nearby villages, some headed toward…

Photos Courtesy of The Gold Tone Group In 1961 Chuck Ogsbury and friends started the Ode Banjo Company and made banjos under that name until 1966 when the company was sold to Baldwin Piano.  In the summer of 1971, Chuck and three other partners—Ed Woodward, Kelly McNish and Ken Whelpton—started the Ome Banjo Company.  Their…

Sadie’s Newest Sister Photo By Stephen Cannoy When we featured the powerhouse bluegrass band Sister Sadie on the cover of our June 2021 issue, the band had recently replaced original member Dale Ann Bradley with Jaelee Roberts (see article on page 38).  When Tina Adair left the band she was replaced with Mary Meyer and then…