“Bluegrass is, by nature, a collaborative form of music,” says Charles R Humphrey III, Songs From the Road Band’s bassist and bandleader. The band began as a part-time collective of western North Carolina musicians, but has grown, over the years, into a full-time touring band, with “community” remaining its driving force. This spirit of collaboration became especially important during the ...

Back in 2004, while attending Merlefest, I had the idea for creating Americana Rhythm Music Magazine. One of the artists performing that weekend was a guy named Jim Lauderdale. He was (and is) an integral part of that fabulous event; and I remember thinking that if there was any one guy that exemplified the definition of an Americana artist, it ...