Ben Plotnick News Today

The high-energy foursome mixes classical training with traditional Irish, Scottish, folk, roots, and bluegrass

For guitar maestro, roots music master, and producer Steve Dawson the pandemic meant ‘time to get busy.’ Eyes Closed, Dreaming is his third of the ‘pandemic trilogy,’ all released in the space of twelve months, and all three covered on these pages.

The Grammy Awards launched the Best Bluegrass Album category in 1989. Bill Monroe won for Southern Flavor. A young banjo player named Bela Fleck was nominated for his album Drive. More than three decades later, Mr. Fleck won in 2022 for his epic My Bluegrass Heart instrumental masterwork. Just before we put together this show, the nominees were announced for the February 5, 2023 awards and the nominees included artists we love and albums we’ve been playing: the Infamous Stringdusters, Molly Tu...

Stratford Summer Music is hosting its Fiddles and Food Trucks fundraiser Sept. 15 featuring a performance by Juno-Award-winning strings quartet, The Fretless.

Thursday, Aug. 11 Owing largely to the strength of their live show — a sweat-drenched spectacle that taps into everything from Southern rock and stoner...

Our artist feature is a memorial to the late, great Mac Martin. Not as well known as some of the other artists of his generation, Mac provided some solid Bluegrass to Bluegrass fans in the Eastern US, particularly in his home area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. We have some birthdays to celebrate and new music to introduce to you. Enjoy and stay safe!Robin & Linda WilliamsA Better Day A-ComingTower of SongDunlap & MabesingleSit and Watch It RainThe Western Swing AuthorityNow Pla...

Halifax folk duo, the Bombadils feature picturesque songwriting and instrumentation.

Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM CDT THURSDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures in the low 30s expected, with upper 20s possible on the Cumberland Plateau. * WHERE...Eastern half of Middle Tennessee. * WHEN...From 11 PM this evening to 8 AM CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect t...

WTJU Mar 2nd, 2021 | By WTJU Frank Evans (Slocan Ramblers) and Ben Plotnick (The Fretless) will stop by WTJU Thursday afternoon, March 11, during Folk & Beyond to share some of their favorite banjo and fiddle tunes (solo, together, and with whatever other instruments Ben and Frank see fit to program!).  They have an instrumental album of fiddle and banjo coming […] Affiliated with... WTJU is owned and operated by the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. The op...

WTJU Mar 2nd, 2021 | By WTJU Frank Evans (Slocan Ramblers) and Ben Plotnick (The Fretless) will stop by WTJU Thursday afternoon, March 11, during Folk & Beyond to share some of their favorite banjo and fiddle tunes (solo, together, and with whatever other instruments Ben and Frank see fit to program!).  They have an instrumental album of fiddle and banjo coming […] Affiliated with... WTJU is owned and operated by the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. The op...