270 Haystack Rd. by Benton Flippen With summer in full swing it’s tough not to think about our old friend Benton Flippen from Mt. Airy, North Carolina. Ask anyone that’s into old-time music about some the fore fathers of old fiddle music and Benton’s name will surely come up. His style and this tune, Cumberland Gap, […]

Bob Stephens is a “road warrior.” Forty-eight years of performing and countless miles on the road are what separates Bob from what he and fellow touring musicians call the rest of us: “civilians.” Bob’s first trip on the road was with the world famous gospel troubadours, The Mighty Clouds of Joy at age 17. When […]

In the Pines by Dan Auerbach and Robert Finley / MURDER BALLADSThere are a few songs in the America’s musical lexicon as quintessential as In the Pines. From Leadbelly to Nirvana this tune has been listened to through the ages — a true sign of a great song. Dan’s haunting production and Robert Finley’s chilling voice […]

Honoring Blues and Roots Musicians in Tintypes By Justin Porter Jun. 8, 2017 Staring into Ironing Board Sam’s smile, beautiful and bright as his fingers dance across a keyboard, one can easily forget that somewhere above him is a man balanced next to a 14-foot-high stand, aiming a large-format camera down at him, waiting for […]