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.

Are the setlists from each Telluride House Band performance from 2007- 2026 available online? Does anyone have all of these shows recorded?

Even better would be if someone has the Thunder Jam sets from Tellurdie in 1998-99.

Thanks!

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

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

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