by Bert Daniel | Oct 23, 2026 | Welcome Column
I discovered a new band called Rare Company recently so I contacted them and arranged a Zoom interview. Every band member showed up and one who said he had to leave after ten minutes stayed for the whole interview. I got to know these guys pretty well over thirty...
by Bert Daniel | Oct 31, 2026 | Welcome Column
What should we play today to celebrate Halloween? Here are a few suggestions: Bringing Mary Home by the Country Gentlemen Spootiskerry (traditional Shetland fiddle tune) Long Black Veil Oh Death (Ralph Stanley) Ghost in this House (Allison Kraus)...
by Bert Daniel | Oct 13, 2026 | Welcome Column
I just returned home from another great seasonal campout at Lodi and I really appreciate the job Joanne did in making it happen for us all. She was all over everywhere in her golf cart making sure everything was OK, often with her side kick Deb Livermore who has made...
by Bert Daniel | Sep 24, 2026 | Welcome Column
I decided to republish this article from more than a dozen years ago after reading so much in the news recently about the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence. Machines are becoming smarter than us, at least in some ways. But what do we really know? What...
by robin | Sep 15, 2026 | Announcements
The California bluegrass world was blessed to receive Jeanie Poling’s powerful contributions for as long as we did. Although she lived with cancer for several years, her passing on Aug. 26 seemed sudden for those of us that loved her. Jeanie’s grace, strength, and...
by Bert Daniel | Sep 13, 2026 | Welcome Column
Bluegrass music thrives today because new bands are coming up all the time to add new spice to a genre that has so much to offer. All of the best bluegrass bands have a grounding in the legendary performers of the past and they honor that tradition. Some of the...
by Bert Daniel | Jul 21, 2026 | Welcome Column
I was going through old welcome columns recently and I came across this post by James Reams from a dozen years ago. James was a great musician and bluegrass supporter and he passed away soon after writing the article you will see below. James got me thinking about the...
by Bert Daniel | Jul 13, 2026 | Welcome Column
It is high summer now so in addition to bluegrass festival season my thoughts naturally turn to my favorite sport, baseball. Baseball is no longer the popular sport I watched as a kid. You don’t see weekly games on Saturday with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubeck but you can...
by Bert Daniel | Jul 7, 2026 | Welcome Column
Remember those essays you had to write the first day of the new school year? It was always such a bittersweet task recalling the joys of a carefree summer while embarking on another year of toil at a place you had to be but didn’t really want to be. Those days are...
by robin | Jun 1, 2026 | Bluegrass Musicians
By Jason Dilg, Bluegrass Breakdown Managing Editor We profiled our Father’s Day Festival openers Sweet Sally in the June issue of the Bluegrass Breakdown. The musicianship of each of its young members has been turning heads for a few festival seasons already. You can...
