Roots & Branches - Spring 2016

  From the sweeping influence of 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns to the progressive acoustic music of David Grisman a couple centuries later. From the exceptional contributions of harmonicists like Howlin’ Wolf and gospel singers like Sister Rosetta Tharpe to the story of how traditional bluegrass music began echoing from the hills of Japan. These musical roots and the branches they support are explored here, in the 19 in-depth stories, two photo essays, and handful of original illustrations that comprise these 156 pages of ad-free, high quality, 100% recycled paper. LONG FEATURES: How Robert Burns influenced the American folk revival / The evolution and influence of the harmonica / The lasting legacy of Sister Rosetta Tharpe / Exploring bluegrass and authenticity in Japan / David Grisman’s half-century of unabashedly acoustic music  SHORT FEATURES: Dori Freeman / Willy Vlautin / Pokey LaFarge / Hubert Sumlin / Ruby Amanfu / Mavis Staples / Anderson East / The new Okl