Articles

Sound systems are an integral part of any musical event. No matter how talented the musicians, they are dependent on competent sound engineers to make sure their instruments and voices are heard in the best possible way. North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Sound, owned and operated by John Holder, is a valuable commodity for promoters and…

Billy Swinson is a bluegrass artist that has been playing and writing music for a couple of decades and has now stepped up his game with his first solo project and the help of resophonic guitar player Randy Kohrs.  Swinson, a Florida resident, wrote eight of the ten tracks and contributes the mandolin breaks and…

Coulee Creek features singer-songwriter Sarah Jackson and poet Rita Mae Reese. The group also includes Beth Becker (fiddle, cello), Michael James (resonator guitar), David Strudthoff (banjo), Tom Baker (guitar, bass), and Cori Vought (vocals). Guest artists are Brett Huus (harmonica), Terry Nirva (cajon), and Josh Rabie (mandolin). Most of them hail from the Wisconsin/Minnesota area…

Every once in a while, a new recording comes out and piques your interest.  This collection of songs by various Dobro players from the UK and Ireland is one such recording.  Chris Eaton, a fine Dobro player from the UK, attended Rob Ickes’ Reso Summit in November of 2022 and was so inspired by the…

University of Illinois Press Although not as well-known as the Southeastern United States, the Ozarks region of Missouri and Arkansas has long been a hotbed of fine old-time fiddling, folk ballad singing, and bluegrass music. One of the primary reasons that so many ballads and tunes from the Ozarks have been faithfully preserved over the…

Ogden Heart is a family trio consisting of sister/brother Isabel and Evans Humphreys along with their mother, songwriter Kathryn Caine. Due to the lack of any liner notes (other than song titles), a search of the internet was made for their web site (below) where information about them was found. Isabel is the lead singer…