Posted July 19, 2022 at 11:37 am | No comments
You’ve got to hand it to Ben Brookes Belcher, the man works hard rolling out some of the coolest country songs we’ve heard in a long time. Belcher nails down some fancy guitar licks while singing a mix of gritty hard tack down home spins to some of the sweetest heart wrenching ballads.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Fingerstyle, Fingerstyle Interviews, Folk, Interviews, Singer Songwriter Interviews
Posted October 2, 2021 at 6:35 pm | No comments
Singer-songwriter, Jeffrey Pine, hails from the Santa Barbara, California, environs, although he’s toured the country performing solo and with others. Pine also periodically finds himself recharging his creative spirit, by seeking refuge and maybe silence in the beauty and solitude of the desert.
Posted in: Blues Interviews, Country, Country Interviews, Fingerstyle, Fingerstyle Interviews, Folk, Instrumental Interviews, Interviews, Singer Songwriter Interviews, Uncategorized
Posted July 19, 2013 at 12:23 pm | No comments
On Mysterious Boundaries, Celtic guitarist, Tony McManus, collects a gathering of melodic impressions that quietly move us, sometimes hauntingly. At once technically masterful, emotionally nuanced and evocative, the Scottish-born guitarist’s new album will please his fans and attract a wider audience to his fine playing. And with a surname that’s rooted in the word “great”, Tony lives up to his Irish heritage.
Posted in: Country, Instrumental Reviews, Reviews, Uncategorized
Posted August 19, 2012 at 12:11 pm | No comments
An evening of homespun humor and country ballads and rock rolled into Wolf Trap starting with an expressive set by Loudon Wainwright III, followed by Mary Chapin Carpenter, both Grammy winning artists.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Country, Folk, Reviews, Singer Songwriter, Uncategorized
Posted April 28, 2011 at 8:20 pm | No comments
Not only does Hawaiian-born ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro make his little four-string axe gently weep, he also makes it sweep, soar, and sing. In his hands, the ukulele roams the halls of folk, jazz, flamenco, rock, funk, the blues, bluegrass and classical music. Along with his astonishing talent, Jake’s winning smile and generous personality have been recognized by the State of Hawaii that has named him a Goodwill Ambassador for the island paradise.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted January 19, 2011 at 11:28 am | One comment
The wholeness of the life of Grammy award winning multi-instrumentalist Ricky Skaggs, cannot be summed up in individual passions, but is a blending of influences of music, spirituality, family life, and friends that are reflected, much like his latest CD, into a patchwork of armament, a personal “mosaic”.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted January 5, 2011 at 2:22 pm | 20 comments
It’s amazing what can happen on a whim. Just a few days ago I was surfing the web, checking out some guitar videos on YouTube and I came across a great performance by country legend Albert Lee. Seeing the video reminded me of what a stellar player Lee really is and so I decided to head over to his site to see if he was touring in my area this year, hoping to get a chance to see him live. A bit dismayed after finding out that he’ll be spending most of his time in Europe in the near future, and later learning that I had just missed him in Chicago recently, I noticed that there was a contact button on his site, and that’s when things get interesting.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Guitar Hero Interviews, Interviews
Posted December 17, 2010 at 2:00 pm | 4 comments
Making a living in today’s music business is tough on the best of days. It seems that the sun has set on the days when one could be just a studio musician, only play gigs or simply teach a few lessons a day and make a living as a guitarist, at least enough to pay the bills and get by.
Posted in: Country, Country Interviews, Interviews
Posted June 3, 2010 at 7:15 am | No comments
All 2,362 seats at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium were sold out in minutes after tickets had gone on sale for Music Saves Mountains.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Country
Posted April 26, 2010 at 6:48 pm | No comments
The mountain music of Virginia was featured in the ensemble show, Music from the Crooked Road that recently toured the U.S.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Country, Reviews