I finally took the plunge and traveled to SPBGMA this year. That’s right! Back in February, 2025, I undertook the drive down to Nashville to attend the annual convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. Kenneth Newell has been after me to go for years now. I’m not sure why […]
In the early 2000’s, when the woods behind the Bill Monroe Homeplace were cleared enough for a stage and seating, much brush and many trees of all sizes, mostly cedar, had to be hauled away. I didn’t like the idea of perfectly fine wood going to waste, so I looked for ways to make use […]
The tag line (like a subtitle) for this Notes of Blue blog is supposed to be “Rambling on Bluegrass and Other Stuff Blue.” You may not have seen it because I haven’t built out the website yet (working on it). I thought I would explain what that tag means, what I mean by “…Other Stuff […]
The 33rd season of Friday night Bluegrass in Rosine, Ky, is exactly one week away. April 4, 2025 is opening night. I can’t help but wonder if Hoyt and Eleanor Bratcher thought the 1992 Woosley barn project would still be going strong all these years later. We’ll have to ask them, won’t we? Next Friday, […]
On the Bus with Bill Monroe: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Bluegrass The first thing I’ll say about Mark Hembree’s 200-page memoir of his time as a Bluegrass Boy is this…I wish it had been 400. Is it flawless? No, but it comes closer than any book on Bill Monroe/Bluegrass that I have […]
How ‘bout them C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats?! It’s been a long, long while since UK basketball fans have had this much to be excited about. Six years ago was our last Sweet Sixteen. Actually, last year when a bunch of my family and I attended Mark Pope’s “press conference” in Rupp Arena, it was pretty […]
So I wrote this Bluegrass song Saturday, March 22. I plan to make a video of me singing it for you in the very near future, but I wanted to share the lyrics with you today. I managed to work some local geography into this one. “Tunnel Hill” is just east of Rosine, less than […]
In the last 40 years or so, I’ve owned beaucoup guitars. I’m pretty sure there are currently seven in the house. Could be eight. I have, in fact, self-diagnosed myself with GAS! For you guitar newbies, that’s Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. It means you’re addicted to the adrenaline rush from acquiring a new guitar. It’s kinda […]
A question last night from a good friend reminded me I need to read Mark Hembree’s 2022 book On the Bus: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass. Hembree played bass for Bill Monroe from 1979 to 1984. He was also a founding member of The Nashville Bluegrass Band. Since I haven’t read […]
Just wrote this song about thirty minutes ago. It was one of the quick ones. Sometimes it’s like they write themselves. I just pour them out on the screen. It started with a line that came to me…walkin’ streets in rain at night in Macon, Georgia…(I don’t know why Macon). You can expect these from […]