Bluegrass Country radio has a new lease on life. A new foundation, using WAMU’s broadcasting license, will take over broadcast and streaming operations for the long-running Washington, D.C., bluegrass institution on February 6. An agreement between WAMU 88.5 and the Bluegrass Country
One of the favorite parts of my work for Bluegrass Today is the steady stream of music that fills my mailbox and my inbox. A close second is the joy of discovering and testing new products. Hey, it’s a tough job,
There’s still time for songwriters to enter two major contests that honor bluegrass compositions. January 5 is the entry deadline for the DC Bluegrass Union’s Hazel Dickens Song Contest. The contest, in its third year, is strictly for bluegrass (including bluegrass
In the perfect vision of hindsight, it’s hard to imagine Gillian Welch struggling to get a foothold in the music business. It’s also difficult to imagine her performing any kind of music other than the bluegrass-inflected Americana that has made her
I’ve been fortunate enough to take singing lessons from Dede Wyland at music camps in two different years. Both times, after absorbing as much as could in five days, I came home energized and excited, only to find a few
IBMA is making some changes in the selection process of Hall of Fame inductees, one public and one done quietly behind the scenes. Starting next year, three members of the Hall of Fame will be added each year, up from two.
When it comes to resophonic guitars, Paul Beard’s instruments are the gold standard for some of the best in the business, from the late Mike Auldridge to IBMA’s reigning Dobro Player of the Year, Jerry Douglas. But at $4,000 and
The venerable Huck Finn Jubilee in Southern California may not get to celebrate its 41st anniversary next year. The Greater Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau, which took over management of the bluegrass festival in 2014, announced Friday that it was
The Grammy Award for bluegrass will continue for a few more years, attendees at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass were told Tuesday in Raleigh, where some high profile industry representatives launched an education campaign to ensure the category continues for many
Don’t get me wrong, I love the Grascals. And while I love a lot of things about Kristin Scott Benson’s new solo project, Stringworks, one of the things I love best about it that it doesn’t sound like the band
