Numbers 1, 2 and 537

Numbers 1, 2 and 537

(editors note: It is with great pleasure that I welcome Rick Cornish back to the welcome column. Rick FOUNDED the welcome column years ago and I was very fortunate to be able to share a love of writing with him over many years. I thought about parsing this rather long...
Messing Up

Messing Up

(The daily grist quote on the splash page you just clicked is from Ludwig van Beethoven. He was a really great musician and I wonder what he would have thought of bluegrass music). We all do it. No matter how good a musician you are, you will mess up occasionally....
Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day

(Editors note: this post comes a day late because we were all enjoying the simple pleasures of gathering with friends at Lodi without internet) Let all things now living a song of Thanksgiving If I haven’t sung that line a hundred times I’d be very surprised. When I...
Rain, Rain, Rain

Rain, Rain, Rain

Well it Ain’t gonna rain no more no more. It ain’t gonna rain no more How in the heck can I wash my neck when it ain’t gonna rain no more? Sadly, this is not the weather forecast I got for the next few days. More rain is on the way and many of us here in California...
A Century of Doc

A Century of Doc

Doc Watson’s birthday was this past Friday. He would have turned one hundred on March third. I celebrated with my best jamming buddies by cutting short our session and walking down the street to hear Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands at the Sweetwater Music Hall in...
In Praise of the Banjo

In Praise of the Banjo

The banjo has always held a certain fascination for me. I was enthralled when Bill Evans presented his Banjo in America extravaganza ten years ago. What a cool instrument I thought, as Bill played through a series of vintage instruments to illustrate the venerable...