The new year BU and BS

The cover story of the January 2023 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited is on David Parmley, whose performing career began as a teenage founder-member of the Bluegrass Cardinals with his father Don Parmley (see the BIB for 1 Aug. 2016). For mandolinists, there are articles on the late Herschel Sizemore and Larry Rice, their playing, their instruments, and their example; Kimber Ludiker, who toured Ireland in 2010 as fiddler for Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, talks to BU editor Dan Miller about introducing kids to bluegrass; and the review section includes a warmly favourable review of the Foreign Landers' album Put all your troubles away.

The January issue is traditionally BU's festival issue, with features on individual events and the annual list of bluegrass festivals throughout the US and elsewhere. The list includes under 'Various locations' the Bluegrass Jamboree (Rainer Zellner's 'travelling bluegrass festival') and under 'International' just three other events, one in the Netherlands and two in Ireland: Dunmore East (with a picture of Long Way Home) and Westport.

*

The January Bluegrass Standard, as the cover image shows, is dedicated to women in bluegrass music, with features on at least eight of the outstanding women currently performing, coupled with a giveaway of a Blue Ridge BR-40 guitar and gig bag to anyone who can name all the bluegrass women shown in the artwork - no easy task. More details are on the BS e-newsletter.

© Richard Hawkins