From IBMA

Being, as I am, now deep in the middle of the International Bluegrass Music Association convention here in Nashville, means I'm too tired to write anything coherent. So, in lieu of words, a picture of The Dixie Bee-Liners playing Monday (28 Sept) live on WAMU's Bluegrass Country. I'm also covering the convention for the Bluegrass…

Three out of Three

Folks, I just had an excellent music weekend, and it was all local! The musical situations were all over the place (from "one end to the other" of the possibilities), but I had a good time. And it all showed how it's possible to have fun in a really wide variety of situations. Thursday night,…

Granny And Her GANGsters: Murphy Method Student Report

I am always proud when I get an email like the one below, telling me about Murphy Method students getting out there and playing! With Barbara’s permission, I will share: I remember when I met Murphy at banjo camp and she asked me what I wanted to do with my banjo and I told her…

Jam Camp A Total Success

The FiddleStar/Murphy Method Jam Camp wraps up today and I thought I'd share some pictures from the weekend. We had eleven students---six in the beginning/intermediate jam group (led by myself) and five in the intermediate/advanced jam group (led by Megan). Six men, five women. We covered a LOT of material and played a LOT of…

Kel Kroydon Mailing Features Casey

Yesterday's e-mailing from the American Made Banjo Company (who makes Casey's signature model Kel Kroydon banjo) featured Casey's IBMA appearance schedule, including tomorrow's (Sunday, Sept 27th) show at Norm's River Roadhouse. Read it here.

A Local Jam Session that Works

There's a jam session which goes on near here every Thursday. It's been attracting quite a number of pickers (and listeners) lately. On a typical night, the players range from folks who know one song clear up to a few folks who have played bluegrass full-time. How can that work, you may ask? Well, it…

“We Were Bold” or “While Murphy’s Away, The Misfits Play!”

While Casey and I were on our vacation last week, the Misfits got together again at Mark and Ellen’s house. Ellen was kind enough to file this report. Thanks, Ellen! My own editorial comments are in brackets. What a jam we had last night! It ran the full gamut of human emotion. Well, maybe that's…

Daughter-Mother Vacaction

As you know, Murphy and I were vacationing, driving all over six different states last week. Murphy told you some about it, but there is oh-so-much-more to tell. Especially about seeing Chuck Berry play in St. Louis. He plays once a month at Blueberry Hill's downstairs concert venue, called the Duck Room. Every month it…

The Relocation Solution: Circle #1, Circle #2, and Circle #3

I went to a large and enjoyable music party last Saturday night. It was put on by a very nice and well-connected couple we know, and they sure had a lot of good pickers at the party. But you know, even in the best environments, picking circle situations can come up which need a little…

Mother-Daughter Vacation

(Little to no bluegrass content!) I have just this moment returned home from my very first mother-daughter vacation. It was so much fun that I can only hope there will be many more. And since Virginia Woolf said, “Nothing has really happened unless it has been recorded,” I will now proceed to make our vacation…