Interview with Kyle Ledson

by | Oct 20, 2016 | Welcome Column

Finding bluegrass in surprising places has come up in my column before. A few weeks ago I went to see The Brothers Comatose play in Auburn with a friend of mine. We arrived early and got seats in the back, planning on moving to the dancefloor after the opening acts....

Interview with Steve Gilchrist

by | Jun 29, 2018 | Welcome Column

DB: I’m lucky to own and play a mandolin by the highly regarded Australian luthier Steve Gilchrist, who has graciously agreed to answer some questions for this edition of Porch Talk.SG: Thanks Dave. It’s a pleasure to be here.DB: Hi Steve. I’m sure you get this...

Interviews with Adam Roszkiewicz

by | Jan 2, 2016 | Welcome Column

Bluegrass Interviews by Dave BerryThis is a new occasional column by Dave Berry, a San Francisco-based CBA member, singer and mandolin player who has an insatiable bluegrass curiosity.Adam RoszkiewiczThe subject of this very first Bluegrass Interviews column is the...

iPod, YouPod, we ALLPod

by | Mar 31, 2010 | Welcome Column

The posting of Steve Almond’s article “The trouble with easy listening” started the most thought-provoking thread on the CBA Message Board in a long time. The author of the article decries the effect that the proliferation of iPods and downloaded music has had on the...

Is Any Publicity Good Publicity

by | Dec 4, 2018 | Welcome Column

I finally gave it upA phone call I have been anticipating for a while came the other day. I thought it would probably come from a new energetic volunteer or maybe a seasoned volunteer roped into one of the important tasks that always pile up in organizations like this...

Is Bluegrass a Spreadable Medium?

by | Jan 8, 2013 | Welcome Column

We live in a rapidly changing media environment that has nothing but good in it for bluegrass music, in all its forms, while at the same time standing as a harbinger for change that many of us will find difficult to integrate into our way of consuming media. As the CD...

Nice things happening to nice people

by | May 12, 2008 | Welcome Column

Dear friends, Well, some folks revel in celebrating life with friends and family. They seek community in good times, good food and good music. The again there are individuals and groups that live to mess things up for their fellow beings. The sort of person who...

Is Bluegrass the Past, the Future, or Now?

by | Feb 10, 2015 | Welcome Column

This year the Grammy’s and SPBGMA fell on the same weekend. Sitting in our trailer in Lake Manatee State Park near Bradenton, FL, trying to keep an eye on both events was an interesting and thought provoking spectator sport. Much better than the sound of drag...

Is It Worth the Loathing?

by | May 5, 2013 | Welcome Column

I’m not a guy that’s prone to look at the world with suspicion. While I’m not naive enough to walk downtown at night without keeping an eye on dark corners and nooks, my focus is usually on the colorful glow of neon lights and the pleasant buzz of crowds leaving the...