Road Trippin’

By Annie Alvira….the much favored offspring of MarcosMy favorite place to be is in the car and driving on an open road. As a kid, road trips with my parents ingrained themselves in the fabric of who I am. As an adult, I still relish looking out the window,...

Road vs. Studio Bands

Irene often works for bands at festivals selling their merchandise while they’re onstage or for longer, if they want her to stay. Over the years she’s become adept at finding the CD on the rack containing specific songs the band has sung during their set....

Rockin’ in Rhythm

Bluegrass is group music. I’ve heard it described as hillbilly chamber music, each instrument contributing its own voice to the ensemble. Another comparison is with a New Orleans jazz band, with the mandolin and fiddle taking the role of the clarinet,...

Roll Out the Welcome Mat

The California Bluegrass Association is dedicated to spreading the word about bluegrass, gospel, old time and american acoustic music. And based upon the young folks I’ve seen at our events, we’re doing a good job. Bluegrass is such a community-based music at heart...

Rookies of the Year

In case you didn’t know, there’s a bit of a bluegrass festival coming up. In less than a month, hordes of bluegrass faithful will descend upon the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley for the 36th edition of the CBA’s Father’s Day Festival. I’m getting pretty...