The Letter

The Letter

Technology has made so many things obsolete during the years of our industrial revolution. The traditional letter may be one of the next things on the list of obsolescence: If only I could hear just one little word From Mother and Daddy, my heart would fill with cheer...
World Bluegrass Day

World Bluegrass Day

Every October first, people celebrate World Bluegrass Day. It happens this Tuesday but unfortunately you don’t get the day off. Often the date coincides with the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival here in northern California so you might want to take the day off...
A Brief Bluegrass History Lesson

A Brief Bluegrass History Lesson

(editor’s note: Marty Varner is not only a fine young musician with deep bluegrass family roots, he’s a smart guy. Here’s an excerpt from his school thesis): Bluegrass has simultaneously been recognized as an archaic folk music and a living, popular art form. Although...
Plymouth Memories

Plymouth Memories

One of my favorite bluegrass festivals of all time was the Plymouth Bluegrass Festival produced by Larry and Sondra Baker. They always somehow managed to get some of the best bands in the business to show up in the middle of nowhere and play great music. I’ll never...
Bedtime Stories

Bedtime Stories

When I was a little kid bed time stories were a real highlight at the end of my day. One of my favorite movies of all time now is the Princess Bride which revolves around a bedtime story. The off the cuff wild bedtime stories I told to my kids when they were growing...
Porches

Porches

Our bluegrass music is definitely made for picking on the porch with friends. One of my favorite CDs of all time is the Dillard’s Back Porch Bluegrass. Dooley, Ground Hog and the banjo standard Doug’s Tune are all on that recording. I wish COVID-19 had never happened...