Bridgewater, VA – For the forth year in a row, Raleigh, NC played host to 2016 installment of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s business conference and Wide Open Bluegrass festival. After a move from Nashville, TN in 2013, musicians and fans alike seem to feel quite at home in the host city. Each year the association takes the opportunity to ...

Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton lead the list of honorees at the 15th Annual Americana Music Association Honors & Awards show September 21st at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium. Stapleton was awarded Artist of the Year honors for his 2015 solo debut Traveller CD, while Isbell was awarded two trophies, one for Album of the Year for his 2015 release, Something More ...

When Peter Allen released “Everything Old is New Again” in 1974, he had no idea that the title would offer a prescient view of the vinyl on which his song was originally released. Vinyl has long competed with other formats such as cassettes and even the relatively short lived 8-track tape. However, it wasn’t until the 80’s that LP’s nearly ...

Did you ever play a house concert that was so well received, that folks wanted to take some of your music home? Who you gonna call? Did your band kill it on stage last night, and the sound man handed you a board-recorded CD with the comment that you should copy this? Who you gonna call? Do you have a ...

Recently, while talking to Michael Johnathon of Public Broadcasting’s  WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, I asked him to comment a bit about his SongFarmer Album that showed up in the AR office review bin a few weeks back. The album is a likable mix of singer/songwriter selections that glide real easy into the ears. However, this is not just another great ...

The blues community in our coverage area is small but furiously loyal to its music. They remain underground to some degree and we do not have the opportunity to speak to them thru our magazine as often as we would like. Thus, it is an honor to be able to feature prestigious folks such as the ones that this story ...

As hard as it is to believe, the longer evenings and the grass in my yard tell me that spring is once again here, and summer is right around the corner. For music lovers, this is a most welcome sign. Festival season is almost here. For many this will be a chance to see many of your favorite artists at ...

In past issues, AR writers have told various story themes about house concerts and championed how folks use them to bring live music to their friends and neighbors. Recently, the AR office received a bit of information about a new take on this subject. It is called a SongFarmer Club. It is an outflow of the WoodSongs musical fount. Let ...

Music is life, and life is sweet. A rich tapestry of music and the soul from the pews to Panama. Being a working artist is rarely dull. I am fortunate that I get to do a lot of different things in music, as I’m not the sort who is deeply satisfied with doing one thing repetitively. This last month has ...

A few years ago I encountered a lady in Paint Bank, WVA who crafted string music instruments from the most unusual of found household objects. Her creations were realistic banjo and guitar type instruments, and when amplified and played by a good picker, were surprisingly easy on the ears. I considered her creations unique until someone recently asked me if ...