by Bert Daniel | Jan 30, 2022 | Welcome Column
THE DAILY GRIST: “If nature has ever produced a more perfect thing than the mesmerizing beauty of this starling swarm, I have yet to encounter it. No other phenomenon has ever stopped me in my tracks quite like this, made me forget everything else in the world except...
by Bert Daniel | Dec 13, 2022 | Welcome Column
I’m very proud to claim Irish heritage on this Saint Patrick’s Day, but as Kermit the frog said, it’s not easy being green. My surname is derived from the Irish name O’Daniel and I have no idea why my ancestors emigrated from the Emerald Isle to the “Greenfields of...
by Bert Daniel | Jan 26, 2022 | Welcome Column
Most people know what ginseng is. It’s an herb, prized for centuries by the Chinese and you see it all the time these days as an ingredient in tea, energy drinks and cold remedies. What many people do not know is that ginseng grows all over the northern hemisphere,...
by Bert Daniel | Jan 22, 2022 | Welcome Column
A certain time eventually comes in the life of any string musician when it’s time to change your strings. Unless you have a good reason to change your strings, like an upcoming gig or event, you probably avoid the chore just like I do. It might still be fun to noodle...
by Bert Daniel | Jan 22, 2022 | Welcome Column
A little over ten years ago we lost one of the finest bluegrass musicians of all time. Kenny Baker, who fiddled for Bill Monroe on and off for a quarter century, died of a stroke at age 85. One could argue forever about who is the best bluegrass fiddler of all time....