by Bert Daniel | Jun 9, 2023 | Welcome Column
Some day you might be faced with the problem of choosing a name for your new band or helping your fellow bandmates decide among various possibilities. A band name can be an important way to identify your music and what you care about as a performer. It can be a...
by Bert Daniel | Jun 4, 2023 | Welcome Column
Bluegrass music has been around for quite a while. Some people would say that it was born on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville when Bill Monroe assembled his classic and seminal band including Earl Scruggs on banjo and Lester Flatt on guitar and vocals....
by Bert Daniel | Jun 2, 2023 | Welcome Column
Sunday, March 15th, 1998, was going to be a day of great celebration…at least that was how I had it planned. The next day, Monday, Phillip would go in for his last chemotherapy treatment. All the testing and x-raying and scanning showed exactly what they were supposed...
by Bert Daniel | Jun 1, 2023 | Welcome Column
I want to tell you about my son, Phil. The story starts on a warm July evening in 1997. I’ve driven to the BART station in Fremont to pick up my oldest son, Phillip, who’s traveled down from school in Berkeley so he and I can attend a little bluegrass festival...
by Bert Daniel | May 20, 2023 | Uncategorized, Welcome Column
A lot of good songs tell a story. Some of them have a very emotional quality. A good singer will try to milk an emotional song for all it’s worth. You can hear the extra emotion from their singing if the song is done right. I like to sing. It’s one on the talents that...
by Bert Daniel | May 26, 2023 | Welcome Column
Editor’s note: I searched the archives for a good article by Charles Brady, who passed away recently. I didn’t have to go very far. Here is the very last welcome column Charles published, at the age of 89! “I have given up the pursuit of perfection; I shall instead...
by Dave Berry | May 25, 2023 | Welcome to California!
Award-winning Chris Jones & the Night Drivers are bringing their chart-busting bluegrass show west for a short run of shows in California before Chris hops over to Weiser Idaho to teach at the Idaho Bluegrass & Banjo Camp. The dates as listed on...
by Bert Daniel | May 17, 2023 | Welcome Column
Sometimes things happen that completely change our life direction. I know this well. If I had not taken a “gap year” in middle age to ride my bicycle through all fifty states almost thirty years ago, none of the wonderful stuff that happened after that would have ever...
by Bert Daniel | May 10, 2023 | Reviews
Larry Sparks: It’s Just Me www.rebelrecords.com Song List: Long Way to Denver, Don’t Neglect the Rose, Mom and Dad’s Waltz, Great High Mountain, Sweetheart, How About You, She Thinks I Still Care, Bring ‘Em on Back, Mama’s Apron Strings, The Scarlet Red Lines. Larry...
by Bert Daniel | May 7, 2023 | Welcome Column
(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...
