by Bert Daniel | May 30, 2025 | Welcome Column
I doubt if very many people know what a lint head is. But everybody knows the term “red neck”. It’s usually used in a derogatory fashion to refer to unsophisticated southerners. Hillbilly. Cracker. White trash. Not something you’d want to be it seems, and yet some...
by robin | Jun 1, 2025 | Bluegrass Musicians
In May, we reached out to several young rising stars in the constellation of young California bluegrass players who are already dazzling us with their talent. We could only share a small portion of our interviews in the June 2025 Bluegrass Breakdown; here is more from...
by robin | Jun 1, 2025 | Bluegrass History, Bluegrass Musicians, Featured CBA Members/Bands
Photo by Robin Frenette Youth Ambassador Joselyn Sky talks with Peter Rowan In this series, Joselyn explores what it takes to make the leap from campground picker to professional performer. In this installment, we hear from Peter Rowan, whose many accolades as...
by Bert Daniel | Jul 11, 2025 | Welcome Column
Out in this cold world alone Walking around in the street. Asking a penny for bread Begging for something to eat (Carter family) it’s a sign of our times that the humble penny, a symbol of the value for every little thing, is fast becoming obsolete. In less than one...
by robin | Jun 25, 2025 | Old-time scene
Gina and Jason Dilg preparing for Gina’s flatfooting workshop at the CBA 2025 CBA Father’s Day Festival Photo by Robin Frenette Our banjo-playin’ CBA Bluegrass Breakdown Editor, Jason Dilg and his fiddle and dancin’ wife, Gina were featured in...
by Bert Daniel | Jun 26, 2025 | Welcome Column
Gibson Mastertone Banjos, the Life, the Lore, the Reality Sean J. Barry June 23, 2025 Foreword: The uninitiated might find parts of the following essay confusing primarily because some of the material is arcane and unfamiliar, but even that group should and will soon...
by Bert Daniel | Jun 28, 2025 | Welcome Column
Most shoppers of authentic prewar Gibson Mastertone Banjos still face a dilemma: “this prewar Gibson is a nice archtop tenorbanjo, but to be useful for modern bluegrass it usually needs a flathead tone ring and always needs a five-string neck, preferably consistent in...
by Bert Daniel | Jul 10, 2025 | Welcome Column
Some players attempt to coax superior tone by modifying their instruments sometimes in bizarre ways. For example, one (now deceased) incredibly talented player is reputed to have taped a mirror inside his banjo resonator to better reflect the tone outward. Whether...
by robin | Jun 30, 2025 | Bluegrass Musicians
In this series, Joselyn explores what it takes to make the leap from campground picker to professional performer. In this third installment, we hear from Rhonda Vincent, whose many musical achievements as a multi-instrumentalist and bandleader include being a Grand...
by robin | Aug 1, 2025 | Bluegrass Musicians
In this series, Joselyn explores what it takes to make the leap from campground picker to professional performer. In this forth installment, we hear from Danny Paisley, whose many accolades as a guitarist, singer, and bandleader include four-time IBMA Male Vocalist of...
