Articles

It’s a dreary January evening, but a quiet euphoria emanates from the four members of hard-driving all-female bluegrass group Della Mae. Earlier in the day, Kimber Ludiker, the group’s founder and a fifth-generation fiddle player, had laid eyes for the first time on the finished product of their new album, Magic Accident, on Compass Records….

Q: Today on Bluegrass Jamboree, I heard the Stanley Brothers’ OLD version “put your head on my shoulder.” It sounded like Ralph was doing some “Stringbean 2-finger” picking, and it was “crude” in a way, but still great. Was this 1946 or ‘47? Nothing much on the “net” on this. I still get goose bumps…

Old Music Gets A New Life Discovering music that you have never heard before can be exciting if it is music that lifts your spirit, resonates with your heart and sinks deep into your bones.  For fans of traditional bluegrass and early country music, finding this kind of music today can sometimes be difficult.  Sure, there…

The Briar Finch name comes from the last names of two songwriters from the Olympia, Washington area. Cory Briar sings and plays mandolin and octave mandolin. Erin Finch sings and plays guitar. On this project of original compositions, the pair is joined by Tom Roalkvam on electric bass and Josh Grice on 5-string fiddle. Together,…

Building Bridges Through Bluegrass Photos by Elliot Siff My journey began with a text from mandolin legend Christopher Henry: “Do you want to teach mandolin in Nepal?” I said yes. Less than a week later, I was on a plane headed for Kathmandu with my mandolin case in hand. It happened very fast for me…

Are you looking to attend a music camp or workshop this year?  Camps and workshops are a great way to study with top professional players and talented instructors. Camps and workshops also provide you the opportunity to meet new friends and jamming partners. Below is a list of camps and workshops organized by state.  This…