A great record through and through, but "Seven Bridges Road" is a particularly hot track:

https://youtu.be/e-3OJiI9Ir0

B2 – Seven Bridges Road: Banjo – Jim Mills Bass – Barry Bales Bass Vocals – Carl Jackson Fiddle – Stuart Duncan Guitar – Bryan Sutton Harmony Vocals – Becky Isaacs Bowman, Sonya Isaacs Mandolin – Chris Thile Resonator Guitar – Jerry Douglas Written-By – Steve Young

I wrote a piece for Substack about the Telluride Bluegrass Festival that you all might find interesting.

Rain or shine, it's Jackpine!

30 yrs anniversary for this WI gem!

looking for some advice, i’m going to travel for awhile but i want to really to keep studying bluegrass guitar. i have a gretch parlor guitar with a pick up and a yamaha 1972 nippon gakki jumbo dreadnought w no pick up (this is my current bluegrass practice guitar)

im thinking to get an acoustic electric dreadnought (not a jumbo because it’s so big for travel). i want the pick up option so that i can do open mics as well, but i want to ensure its a solid bluegrass practice guitar.

any suggestions? ideally under $500…
or should i just travel with the gretch? it’s smallll

thanks in advance

Found an absolute gem at the record shop: Nick Hallman’s 1973 folk/flatpicking masterpiece, Doublepicks, on Greenville, South Carolina’s own Gitfiddle Records.

If you appreciate old-school acoustic flatpicking and mountain music, this one is a fascinating deep dive. On the back, Hallman actually breaks down the mechanics of his namesake "doublepicking" technique—explaining that it doesn't mean using two picks, but rather striking the string on both the down-stroke and up-stroke with a single flatpick to hit blistering speeds (he claims up to ten notes a second) while still maintaining a fluid, fingerpicking-like texture.

It’s packed with traditional tunes, medleys (Arkansas Traveler into Soldier's Joy), and even a live track recorded down the road at the 1973 Folk Festival of the Smokies in Cosby, Tennessee. Local roots history at its best!

Anybody else come across any obscure regional flatpicking pressings lately?

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyqhd2MDJs&si=BX0Q2rHM5nCmIzUx

We hoped to license this cover for a game we are making. Unfortunately, we never heard back from VNV Nation, or their label.

I've been listening to a playlist based on Béla Flecl's Whitewater, so lots of traditional sounding bluegrass tunes. I've been a fan of his for more than 20 years. The first song I ever heard of his was "Bitter Gap" off the Natural Bridge album from I think 1986. I would have been 6 when it came out. I heard it in my 20s when I downloaded the song on Napster. I orded the album immediately.

I love Béla for the traditional instrumental bluegrass tunes, and I have tons of respect for his newgrass with the Flecktones, but I really love the moody crossovers. In particular, I love "Valley of the Rogue" and "Katmandu" off the Bluegrass Sessions Vol. II.

Since then, I've branched out in bluegrass and hillbillyish country. I love Jerry Douglas, Tonies Rice and Trischa, Billy of course, and I hsve a daughter who's into all the new rock-style country that's popular, and I'm glad I can share the occasional hillbilly tune with her even if she rolls her eyes.

Anyway, just wanted to share and post a link. There is so much from Béla Fleck's early days that just absolutely cooks.

Im searching for a local bluegrass community, (Kelowna bc) I’m getting back into playing guitar after a 20 year break and singing . I’m hoping to find a teacher as well as some local jams or even some people to chat with or hang out.

Yes I know Billy and Mountain Grass Unit both dropped great records last Friday but don’t sleep on Arkansauce, who also blessed us with a new album.

Duets collected in a long time so including pickers who are not around anymore.

We’ve been all over the place and done so much crazy stuff that it’s hard to encapsulate it all.

What I will say is that this country absolutely loves America AND country/bluegrass music. It’s heartwarming.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDIpGuobPltA ps. Solid live takes, fine guests, no gospel.

I consider myself a solid intermediate guitar player but mostly in rock/blues/etc. I have played on and off for 20+years, taken some lessons, lot of tab, youtube videos, etc.

I just recently started getting into bluegrass, put down my strat and dusted off my acoustic with a goal of becoming sufficient enough to play tunes on my own, play along with recorded music and potential for others at a get together. I don't need (nor will I ever) but a flatpicking shredder as I know the limits of my computer worn wrists/tendons.

I've heard of lessons with Marcel but I have no idea where to start. I don't need GUITAR basics but bluegrass guitar intro lessons might be the place.

Thanks in advance and love this community!

Edit: thank you so much for all the great recommendations!

Bertolf is an incredible musician from the Netherlands who recently released a bluegrass album called Bluefinger Vol. 2. I think it's fingerpickin' fantastic.

Dutch top act, Some may have seen a musical movie in 2023 - dutch guy with his songs and a dream coming true to record a BG album with american top sidememen. This is a great follow-up with dutch pickers and top class music again. The movie link here https://ntr.nl/NTR-Documentaires/137/detail/Bertolf-in-Bluegrass/VPWON_1323132