Baseball is Back!

Baseball is Back!

Bluegrass and baseball are connected at the hip. And I would have serious withdrawal symptoms if I were deprived of either. Covid tested me with both addictions over the past two years and I was worried that labor negotiations might deprive me of one of my passions...
The Path to Bluegrass

The Path to Bluegrass

When I read the “Hooked on Bluegrass” stories, I am struck by how many different ways we come to know and love bluegrass music. For some, it’s very direct – they grew up in a bluegrass-soaked environment, and it was part of their lives for as long as they...
Nicknames

Nicknames

If you’re gonna be a Bluegrass fan, you gotta have a nickname. It’s as simple as that. Fortunately for me, I was reared in the Southeast, (where Bluegrass was born). Colorful nicknames are the rule there. My mom called me “Bert Boy” almost before I was born. I kid you...
Nomad

Nomad

iI read a book a couple of years ago called Nomadland by Jessica Bruder.  It’s a good book and I think many of my fellow bluegrass fans would enjoy it too because so many of us are nomads at heart.  We pack up our stuff and head to every bluegrass festival we can find...
Tune It, or..What?

Tune It, or..What?

Playing music is tough, and there are so many things to keep track of. But being in tune (especially for fretted strings instruments) is something you should be able to control. Back in the days before inexpensive tuners, it was tougher. You had a pitch fork, or pitch...
Norman

Norman

Let’s talk about Norman. What do you think of when you hear that name? If you are a fan of adult literature maybe you think of Norman Mailer. If you have kids and are into children’s literature, you think of Norman the Doorman. If you are a fan of military generals,...