Bluegrass Today

1 week ago | bluegrasstoday.com | John Lawless

The long-running Midwest Banjo Camp, celebrating their 20th year in 2025, is introducing a track for bluegrass vocals for the first time this year. Focusing, of course, on the banjo, with instruction on bluegrass and old time banjo at four levels of skill and experience, plus tenor banjo, mandolin, guitar, fiddle, and bass, there will now be four days to work on singing under the direction of Elizabeth Loring.

1 week ago | bluegrasstoday.com | John Lawless

Larry Cordle has announced the signing of seasoned Nashville vocalist Val Storey to his Mighty Cord Records, and has released a new single to introduce her to the wider bluegrass world. Cordle, of course, is among the most celebrated songwriters in bluegrass and country music, and a veteran bandleader and artist in our music. He created Mighty Cord Records initially to control the release of his own recordings, and is now adding others artists to the label.

1 week ago | bluegrasstoday.com | John Lawless

The annual Steve Sutton Fest, held in honor of the popular western North Carolina banjo player who passed away unexpectedly on May 15, 2017 at the age of 61, has a new location this year, returning this one day celebration of the music he loved back to Steve’s home county of Haywood. The festival started out as a Memorial Concert for Steve in 2017, held again the next year, which for the third running was renamed as the Steve Sutton Fest.

1 week ago | bluegrasstoday.com | John Lawless

Mark Houser is one of those people who are an inspiration to everyone around them, both for his clear-eyed faith and his determination against great odds. A bluegrass lover of many years – he’s a cousin to Lester Flatt, how could he not be? – Mark has participated mostly as a songwriter, with cuts by a number of bluegrass and country artists, and with a pair of albums in his own name with Rural Rhythm Records.

1 week ago | bluegrasstoday.com | John Lawless

Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Steve Gulley Memorial Scholarship, founded and maintained by West Virginia bluegrass band Crandall Creek. Technically, the scholarship is run by the Bluegrass Music Endeavors Foundation, itself endowed by Crandall Creek, who formed the group, in part, with philanthropic aims. From the start, a portion of band earnings have been set aside for their various charitable enterprises.