Well, we've had some bad luck. Karen (or Mom, as most of us know her) has been having some health problems related to a viral infection that she suffered while we were on the road in September and October of last year. We had hoped that she would be better in time for our national appearances this spring, but it looks like she's going to need a little more time to get all healed up. I've included a copy of a press release below. We'd appreciate it if you would keep Karen in your prayers.

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MASTERSHIELD RECORDING ARTIST THE MUELLERS ANNOUNCE SPRING 2008 SHOW CANCELLATIONS

Due to a serious health problem in the family, The Muellers have been forced to cancel all national engagements until May 2008. Karen Mueller, our bassist, manager, and mother, was diagnosed with post-viral fatigue syndrome after collapsing in late 2007. She has made great progress in the last two months and we are confident that she will be back, better than ever, by late spring. In the meantime, she is receiving the very best medical care and the rest of us are busy preparing new material for our 2008 performances.

We appreciate all of the prayers and kind wishes that so many of you have already offered to us, and we ask that you please continue to keep Karen in your prayers.

All the best,

Curt, Tom, Bob, Laurah, Sarah, John, and George

Here's some sheet music and tab to an Adam Steffey mandolin break from Jim VanCleve's 2006 album No Apologies. Adam Steffey is the man! He has the best matchup of phrasing and tone of any of the mandolin players I know. Check out the characteristic ascending slides. Good stuff. As always, if you want to learn this, I highly recommend checking out the original recording to get the exact phrasing and flow of

To open these files: click on each image, then right-click on the bigger picture that will display, click "save as" or whatever save option you have on your browser, and save it to your computer. You can easily print each page, or learn it right from your screen.

Here's an early Christmas present, y'all. I've been sorting a lot of old music paper that I've got laying around and stumbled across a bunch of old Tony Rice guitar breaks that I've transcribed over the last couple of years. I'll tab out some more of these when I get a chance, but for now, here's both of Tony Rice's flatpicking solos on Blackberry Blossom. This is from his classic album Manzanita, which I highly recommend checking out if you plan to learn these breaks. I've marked the phrasing occasionally, but it's always better to get it from the source himself.

To open these files: click on each image, then right-click on the bigger picture that will display, click "save as" or whatever save option you have on your browser, and save it to your computer. You can easily print each page, or learn it right from your screen.

Holy crazy layout, Batman!

Pics from the Kruger Brothers show.

Well, folks, here's the setup. My name is Tom Mueller, and I'm the guitarist in The Muellers, a family bluegrass outfit based in New England. There's lots of info and links to the right in the sidebar, and you should feel free to explore those at your leisure.

Here's what you should know about me:

• I play guitar, sing, and run the show during rehearsal as best as I can.

• I'm one-fifth of the band by height and just slightly less than one-seventh of the band by age.

• My favorite place to write songs is at a southeast-facing table at the local Starbucks, just across from a prominently displayed pastel of Björk's first album portrait. It's a terrible likeness (the artist didn't get the eyebrows very well), but i like it anyway. It gives my eyes something to focus on after that fifth shot of expresso has given me the jitters.
  

• I don't use cookbooks when I cook because I'm too stubborn. Sometimes this is good.

The idea of a band blog has been batted around in the band for quite some time now, and we are glad that it has finally come to fruition. We love bluegrass and know that we owe every last bit of our success to our fans. This is a chance to give back to YOU -- to give you a glimpse into the day-to-day operation of the band, our travels, and our shows.

Feel free to comment and get in touch with us! Just like any gig, we prefer to have people up on their feet, stompin' and hollerin'. So go ahead, make a racket! Let us know what you think!

A great picture of John Drummond, owner of both banjo.com and unicycle.com. We tried to think of other banjo- and unicycle-shaped items with which he could expand his business. Soupspoon.com? Lollipop.com?

John, George, and Karen take turns cutting wood at the Tennessee Fall Homecoming. Sarah is on the other side of the saw -- she wanted to saw something, and her fiddle wasn't nearby :)

From our spring/summer tour -- Curt plays an Earl Scruggs-owned banjo during our tour of Paul Hopkins' banjo shop.

The amazing Paul Hopkins plays a little "Home Sweet Home" during our visit. Gotta love those C songs on the banjo!

Mountain Heart at the IBMA fanfest. I just love the expression that Abernathy is throwing at Josh Shilling. Always a good time with those guys!

Bob and Tom took an afternoon off to do some canoeing in northwest Georgia.

Curt and George at Rock City (of "See Rock City!" fame.)

Mexican food with our amazing Georgia friends!

Matt Menefee of Cadillac Sky

Bryan Simpson's crazy shadow and fiddler Ross Holmes at the C-Sky show.

Ricky Skaggs and the Whites on stage at the Opry.

A taste of Nashville architecture.

Mugging in Tennessee.

John, Sarah, and Laurah have the complete range of expressions!

Our dear friend Buck White on stage with Ricky Skaggs and the Whites at the IBMA Skaggs' Family showcase.

Andy Leftwich of Kentucky Thunder.

John does a little luggage-surfin'

Taking a quick peak inside the Monroe Homestead after our set at Jerusalem Ridge.

Karen and Sarah in front of the Monroe homestead in Rosine, Kentucky.