The Screen Fast Test

We all know about the food fast (different than fast food). That, of course, is when we go without food for a certain designated period of time. Some folks do it voluntarily, and some folks do it involuntarily because they don’t have the money, and some do it for all...

The ScruggsMobile can be yours!

There’s a fellow named Larry Perkins in Nashville who is a longtime picker and knows pretty much everybody in the Bluegrass world back there. I met him briefly about ten years ago at an IBMA week in Louisville and bought a CD he had for sale called Glad Reunion Day....

The Search for the Perfect Capo

One of the most ubiquitous accoutrements to bluegrass players is…. the capo. (Sometimes called a “cheater bar”.) A cursory search of the internet shows the capo to be much older that you might think (17th century!). Apparently, the word itself comes from the Italian...

The Search Goes on for the Perfect Cheater Bar

Quite recently, I came across yet ANOTHER capo design – this one made by a company called Thalia. It reminded me of this column – please forgive me for subjecting it to you again!One of the most ubiquitous accouterments to bluegrass players is…. the capo....

The Season for Giving

Happy Winter solstice to all you merry pagans out there!Well, it’s that time of the year again. The Christmas season, also known more by the more secular Holiday Season. Whatever the reason, a lot of good things happen this time of year. By and large, families are...

The Seegers, Banjos, and BlueGrass

During the past two or three weeks, PBS has been showing the film “Pete Seeger: The Power Of Song” on its national network. I hope many of you have had a chance to see that, or if not, that you may have a friend who’s recorded it, because it provides...