Articles
(Click Titles to read Article)

Big Sur Big Sur Coast In 2007 Jen and I took an excursion to Carmel, Big Sur, and Paso Robles.  We had a variety of interesting experiences and I took a whole passel of Photographs in addition to writing a review of the trip.  Cypress Island Eagle Bluff, Cypress Island Cypress Island is in the San Juan Islands and not accessible by ferry.  We jumped on a private charter and were deposited on a beach.  From there we hiked six miles to another beach where we were picked up. Grand Canyon/Bryce/Zion In 1999 Jen and I traveled the "Grand Loop," a 900 mile adventure out of Las Vegas with stops at Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks.  What a fabulous trip!  Slide Show

Ralph Stanley Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mtn Boys, 1985 At this writing (2012) Ralph Stanley, now in his mid-80s, is one of the few remaining 1st generation Bluegrass legends.  In 1985 I interviewed him and bassist Jack Cooke (below) prior to an appearance in Seattle.  Jack Cooke Jack Cooke was a longtime member of Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys. The consummate sideman Jack was a terrific singer, bassist, and guitarist. He died in 2010.  Harley Bray Harley Bray was a near legendary member of the 1960s Bray Brothers & Red Cravens and fellow band member in the 1980s Friends of Sally Johnson. This interview was conducted in 1984.  Note: For Audio and Video clips of Harley Bray, visit my Music page.

Dave Jack's Saturna The late Dave Jack was a boat builder and feisty raconteur who lived on Saturna Island, in the Canadian Gulf Islands.  I interviewed him at his home in 1988.

Mark O'Connor I first saw Mark O'Connor when he showed up as a prodigal 13-year old at the National Oldtime Fiddler's Contest in Weiser, Idaho.  He took the place by storm.  A native of Seattle, I had the chance to interview Mark in the 1980s, and got plenty of commentary as well from his sister, a star fiddler in her own right, and many others who taught him music as a youth.

Yellow Island Yellow Island is a small island in Washington state's San Juan Islands.  Owned by the Nature Conservancy is is not accessible by conventional ferry service.  We took a private charter to admire the incredible flower display that happens every April and May.

Delia Bell and Bill Grant Delia Bell was quite the rage among bluegrass fans when Emmylou Harris brought her to everyone's attention in the 1980s.  Her partner, Bill Grant, was an excellent singer and songwriter in his own right. This interview was conducted shortly after the release of her major label recording for Warner Brothers.

The Real Florida It's tough to find the "real" Florida, with all the "development" going on there.  But there are a few places still worth visiting.

Darrington: Bluegrass in the Northwest The Darrington Bluegrass Festival will celebrate its 37th year this July.  In the mid 80s I spoke with organizers, all originally from North Carolina, about the success of the festival and its plans for the future.

Vern Williams Vern Williams was one of the top bluegrass musicians ever to play the music.  His singing ranks with the best, and for years he fronted the Vern Williams Band before his death in 2006. Slide Show

Notes from Bluegrass Mecca A reprise of the 2004 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Washington Coast In 2004 Jen and I took a short trip over to Washington state's Olympic Peninsula.  We did some hiking to remote beaches and checked out accomodations.

Roland White & the Kentucky Colonels Roland White has had a long career in bluegrass music, beginning in the 1960s with the Kentucky Colonels.  Since then he has played with Bill Monroe; Lester Flatt; the Country Gazette; and the Nashville Bluegrass Band.

A Conversation with Stuart Duncan Byron Berline (L) and Stuart Duncan Stuart Duncan is one of the outstanding fiddlers ever to play bluegrass.  A longtime member of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, I interviewed him back in 1987.

By Train, Across Canada This was the first free-lance article I wrote, never published!  Nonetheless it was a fun trip from British Columbia to Toronto, near Christmas.  This passenger service, via the "southern" Canada route, no longer exists.

Wolf Mountain Bluegrass Festival The Wolf Mountain Bluegrass Festival featured traditional bluegrass music for a number of years at the same site as the Grass Valley Bluegrass Festival.  It is now defunct, but was a fun ride while it lasted.

The Tennesseans For many years Harley Worthington and Hank English, the Tennesseans, were a fixture in Northwest bluegrass.  Many of the areas finest musicians cut their teeth with them, including Mark O'Connor.

George Draney: 82 Years in Bella Coola George Draney was born in Bella Coola, in 1903 to Norwegian parents.  He was a self-made man with conservative views.  I interviewed him in 1985 for an article in Raincoast Chronicles.

Northwest Folklife Festival This article was written in 1986 about "growing pains" at Folklife.  Now here we are, into its 5th decade as a thriving festival, and many of the same issues remain.

Mount St. Helens: Into the Crater In 1989 and '90 I had the good fortune to hike into the Mt. St. Helens crater with a geologist friend.  It is the closest I'll ever get to being on the moon.

Liner Notes
Here you will find liner notes I have written for CD releases. 
Click on the Title for the notes, and on the Image for an Audio track

Liner Notes: Open Road Open Road was a Colorado-based bluegrass band I first met in 2001.  I was impressed with their strong traditionalism and stage presence.  Later I wrote the liner notes for their Rounder Records recording In the Life.  These are reproduced here.

Liner Notes: Bluegrass Brothers The Bluegrass Brothers are a Virginia group I first me at IBMA.  I was captivated by their pedal-to-the-metal traditional approach.  My friend, Kerry Hay, of Hay Holler Records asked me to write liner notes for a release he was planning of the group.  I quickly accepted.

Liner Notes: Sawtooth Mountain Boys The Sawtooth Mountain Boys are a Corvallis, Oregon group who existed from the mid-1960s up until about 2005--four decades--with little change in personnel.  A traditional group, they have performed throughout the Northwest and are well-known on the festival circuit.

Liner Notes: Ohop Valley Boys The Ohop Valley Boys were a Northwest bluegrass group that performed for about a decade at many of the regional festivals.  They are a group who took a modern approach to traditional bluegrass.  The group now is called "Grapevine."

Liner Notes: Resophonics Anonymous Resophonics Anonymous is a compilation of music from the instrument more commonly known as the "Dobro."  These are Northwest dobroists performing a wide of variety of music and styles.  It was put together by Washington resophonic musician Tab Tabscott.