News

FENTON, MO — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the publication of The Banjoist's Budget - Fifty Jigs, Reels, Hornpipes, Clogs, Walk-Arounds, Albert Baur; edited and intabulated by Rob MacKillop.

This book contains the 50 late 19th century tunes ...

FENTON, MO — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the release of Banjo Picking Tunes - Fun Solos to Play, by Lluís Gómez in print and eBook formats.

This collection of 47 favorite melodies includes reels, jigs, waltzes, fiddle tunes, ...

NEW YORK — Nonesuch Records has announced an October 23 release for Sam Amidon's highly anticipated self-titled album, Sam Amidon.

With vinyl due January 22, 2021. The album, which Amidon produced and considers the fullest realization to date of his artistic vision, comprises his radical reworkings of mostly traditional folk songs, performed with his frequent band, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer Chris Vatalaro, along with saxophonist and label ...

ARDEN, N.C. — Drawing on the distinctive sound and fresh musical ideas that recently earned its namesake her third consecutive International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year nomination, The Gina Furtado Project shows a more playful side of Furtado's musical personality on Alley Cat, the group's ...

Danny Barnes has pivoted. Or maybe he's made a career of pivoting. The banjo master, one of the great musicians of our time, has been unusually malleable in navigating a career in music: early on founding a ground breaking punk rock/bluegrass band (the Bad Livers), later on touring and recording with artists at the very pinnacle of jazz, bluegrass, and pop music (including Bill Frisell, Tim O’Brien, David Grisman and Dave Matthews), and all the while releasing a wildly diverse collection of solo records, ranging from straight bluegrass to rock to ambient electronica (a personal favorite of mine). Not to mention his essays, which are legendary, or his cartoons, which are as well. Or his deeply inspiring music lessons at Peghead Nation.

And now that touring is off the table for the time being, taken away just as he was in the middle of a run of gigs celebrating the release of his latest record, Man on Fire (which is great!), Danny has shifted his focus a bit: he's at home on the Olympic Peninsula, balancing his daily practices with a recently ramped up and always well received cartoon/art business.
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SAN FRANCISCO — California Bluegrass Association (CBA) winds up their Turn Your Radio On series with a "Virtual Father's Day Festival" this Saturday featuring an all-star line-up.

Tune in online at 4:00 p.m. Paciic Time for a five hour long that includes performances by Tim O'Brien, Peter Rowan, Lonesome River Band, Molly Tuttle, Laurie Lewis, Della Mae and many,many more.

As part of the activities CBA will be announcing ...

FENTON, MO — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the release of Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Clawhammer Banjo, by Ken Perlman. This stunning new collection is available in eBook for purchase now for $19.99 with a print version coming soon.

This comprehensive ...

SAN FRANCISCO — The California Bluegrass Association (CBA) has announced the launch of Turn Your Radio OnLINE, a webcast series starting Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time, and continuing each Saturday through June 20. This new online music event is inspired by the CBA's annual Father’s Day Festival, held in Grass Valley, California, since 1975.

The lineup includes nationally known and popular California bands performing online from their "shelter in place" locations ...

Use Code MBNEW20 to get 20% off through June 30, 2018.

Fenton, Mo. — Mel Bay Publications, Inc. has announced the publication of Basic Music Theory for Banjo Players, by Rick McKeon.

The book was self-published for a time and with the release on Mel Bay ...

Winchester, Va. — The Murphy Method has announced the publication of "Key of C & Beyond: Improvising in C & D," taught by Casey Henry, available as a download now and in DVD format shipping as of May 8.

Tired of using a capo? Tired of all your breaks sounding the same? Tired of not being able to play in D or E or F?

This DVD opens the door to playing in the keys of C, D, E, and F. Casey Henry first shows you ...