Articles/Blogs
Why Black Folks Don't Fiddle
Many unfamiliar with the real history of Black fiddling forget that fiddling was extremely common among African Americans until the early 20th Century. In the we have many…
Bluegrass, string music deeply rooted in African-American tradition
Strains of African-American music beat in the deep heart of bluegrass, from the African-derived tones of the five-string banjo to the blue notes that give the music its…
The Banjo's African American Heritage
The Banjo’s African American Heritage is celebrated on this dates Registry. Since Caribbean Blacks created the banjo in the 17th century and carried it to North America in the…
A Part of My Story as a Bluegrass Musician
I found this surprising reference in the Jerry Douglas Bulletin Board Archives. Several years ago when searching The Internet I ran across this posting made by the guy I…
Deford Bailey A Legend Lost
Deford Bailey was the most influential harmonica player in the first half of the 20th Century. Despite such acclaim, Deford dies quietly without recognition of his place in…
Black Hillbilly - or - What you really know about the Upper South?
The first non-Native American settlers of Appalachia and later, the Ozarks, were of primarily of three ethnicities: Scots-Irish, English, and German. These hard-working farmers…