Preparations are underway for the 3rd Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival being held in the hills of southern Indiana at the Official Bean Blossom & Bill Monroe Music Park in beautiful Brown County, May 30–June 1. This is the third of what the festival’s creator, John Hotze, and co-promoter, Dan Dillman, hope to see as an event to preserve the legacy and music of the late John Hartford, one of America’s most beloved songwriter/performers and musicians.

It is such a gem that the large family of bluegrass music still has the likes of Del McCoury around. And simply declaring that Del is “still around” is a gross understatement. More accurately would be acknowledging his linage and persona as being at a career-high peak moment. Not only has classic bluegrass music had resurgence in popularity over the last twenty years, but also many of the oldies of the genre are still hashing out quality work.