Archive for the 'bluegrass' Category
RIP Hazel Dickens
I honestly don’t know what to say: Hazel Dickens has died and the world is a sorrier, sadder place for it. She had a pure Appalachian voice, one of those old time voices that carry centuries of history in it. She was a strong voice for the working class, especially the unions and the [...]
Read More..>>Farewell to my Friend
I just got the news that my old friend Jake Jenkins died in a plane crash outside of his home in Lubbock Texas. His parents were in the plane with him: Jake leaves behind a wife and three young children.
That’s Jake kicking ass on the banjo in the video above, a few months after [...]
They’ll Never Keep Us Down
Atheists Don’t Have No Songs
Finally, a hymn for the rest of us:
Read More..>>Joe Val and the New England Bluegrass Boys
I am in a bluegrassy moody today. So here’s some Joe Val, who has a voice that can shatter glass. Not bad for an Italian guy from Boston…
(This one is a great example of how high Joe’s vocals can go. Even Del McCoury admitted he can’t compete with that.)
Of interest: I’m friends with [...]
Read More..>>Jack Cooke, the Norton Flash, RIP
jack Cooke, longtime bass player for Ralph Stanley, has died:
We have just learned that Jack Cooke, long-time member of Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, passed away last night (12/1) after suffering a massive heart attack.
Cooke performed with The Stanley Brothers in the 1950s before going to work for Bill Monroe from 1956-1960. He [...]
Reminder: Dill Pickles Tonight!
come on out! we’re gonna have a good ol’ time and you don’t want to miss it!
Read More..>>Dill Pickles, Friday 9/11/09: Final Fergie’s Friday
It’s gonna be quite the show, so come on out.
Check this line-up:
The Dill Pickles, that be we, will open the night with a 6-8 PM Happy Hour set of old time fiddle and jug band stomps.
THEN! Holy Cow!!
The Ganesha Ramblers from Trenton NJ play a bunch of old time, including some sweet guitar work.
Next up, [...]
Bill Harrell
Eatin’ Out Of Your Hand
One of my favorites by Bill Harrell. I used to know his bass player, a damn fine guy named Mike O’Ferrall who dies about a year or two ago.
Eat more possum!
Fourth of July Bluegrass
I’m off to Out Among the Stars, the best bluegrass festival in Pennsylvania. It’s a really healthy break from politics, although at some point i’m sure there will be an unavoidable debate about something.
It’s a time to slip out of my skin, and get back to what really matters: family, friends, community, and music. [...]
