Bowing to Tradition

Bowing to Tradition

Bluegrass music has been around for quite a while. Some people would say that it was born on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville when Bill Monroe assembled his classic and seminal band including Earl Scruggs on banjo and Lester Flatt on guitar and vocals....
Cuppa Joe’s (part two)

Cuppa Joe’s (part two)

Sunday, March 15th, 1998, was going to be a day of great celebration…at least that was how I had it planned. The next day, Monday, Phillip would go in for his last chemotherapy treatment. All the testing and x-raying and scanning showed exactly what they were supposed...
Cuppa Joe’s (part one)

Cuppa Joe’s (part one)

I want to tell you about my son, Phil. The story starts on a warm July evening in 1997. I’ve driven to the BART station in Fremont to pick up my oldest son, Phillip, who’s traveled down from school in Berkeley so he and I can attend a little bluegrass festival...
Violin Perfection

Violin Perfection

Editor’s note: I searched the archives for a good article by Charles Brady, who passed away recently. I didn’t have to go very far. Here is the very last welcome column Charles published, at the age of 89! “I have given up the pursuit of perfection; I shall instead...
Can’t Sing ‘em

Can’t Sing ‘em

A lot of good songs tell a story. Some of them have a very emotional quality. A good singer will try to milk an emotional song for all it’s worth. You can hear the extra emotion from their singing if the song is done right. I like to sing. It’s one on the talents that...
A Twist of Fate

A Twist of Fate

Sometimes things happen that completely change our life direction. I know this well. If I had not taken a “gap year” in middle age to ride my bicycle through all fifty states almost thirty years ago, none of the wonderful stuff that happened after that would have ever...