Articles

Reprinted from Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine December 1994, Volume 29, Number 6 The Seldom Scene got together with the avowed purpose of “playing for fun,” the band’s bio reads. “Yet, with this band’s tremendous aggregation of talent, it’s hardly surprising that what started as their ‘weekly card game’ soon became a sustaining career.” Twenty-three years later,…

Songs That Made Charlene Cry Bluegrass Hall of Famer Rodney Dillard uses two criteria when choosing what he’ll do next in music—Is it too much hassle, and is it fun? His decision to write and record The Dillards’ latest album, Songs That Made Charlene Cry, fit just right. He had mulled over the idea for…

Growing up in Kenton, Ohio, Mayfield played bass, guitar, and mandolin in his family band. As his music and songwriting skills progressed, he found himself playing in bands like Cadillac Sky, the Avett Brothers, and Mumford and Sons. He also accompanied his folk-artist sister, Jessica Lea Mayfield.  He formed his Mayfield Parade in 2011 and…

 Tim O’Brien has been a fixture in contemporary bluegrass ever since fronting the band Hot Rize starting back in the late 1970s. Along the way, he’s collaborated with everyone from fellow West Virginian Kath Mattea to Steve Martin and Alison Brown. He’s also penned songs for a number of Nashville’s leading lights. For the last…

Kentucky-born, Wyoming-raised Shelby Means has been around the music biz for a while. She’s a former member of the acclaimed band Della Mae and more recently has served as the bass player with Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. Thus, it’s no surprise that her debut album is such an accomplished and assured outing. Means has…

Carl Bentley was originally from Eastern Kentucky and grew up in a musical family. While honing his singing skills, he also developed a fondness and talent for songwriting. Unfortunately, he was in an auto accident in 1966 that almost ended his life. After his recovery, he started performing bluegrass music while working in software development….