Author: Lee Zimmerman

Mary Z Cox’s latest entry, Carolina Banjo, opens with the rousing strains of Foggy Mountain Clawhammer and never lets up in terms of its freewheeling finesse.  The fact that Cox’s main instrument of choice is banjo, the otherwise alluring Got No

Junior Sisk’s first solo album in a career that extends back well over 20 years may seem something of a milestone, but the fact is, Sisk has made an indelible impression in bluegrass realms ever since he first started writing

Bluegrass and hip hop are rarely spoken of in the same context. And the fusion of the two forms puts the band Gangstagrass beyond those borders in the strictest sense. Indeed, this intrepid ensemble has managed to make a bold

Given their confidence and obvious assurance, it’s somewhat surprising that The Tale of Willie Tackett marks only the second time that the Ohio-based band Caney Creek has opted to release a record. However as the saying goes, good things are

Despite the fact he’s still a few years away from turning the big 3-0, Caleb Daugherty comes across with a genuinely knowing perspective. That’s evident enough with his new album, the ominously titled Burnt The Sawmill Down, and though it’s

Cara Luft and JD Edwards, the prime members of the Canadian combo known as the Small Glories, mine a sound drawn directly from a distinct rootsy regimen. With their close knit harmonies and an archival folk-like feel, their music taps into

In his illuminating liner notes, Chris Jones points out that Old Trails, New Beginnings is indeed exactly what its title implies, that is, a solo debut album that was some 40 years in the making. Despite the fact that Tricia

Like Steep Canyon Rangers, Town Mountain makes an upward climb from bluegrass basics to yet another pinnacle. The two bands share a propensity for bending boundaries whenever it suits their purposes, a tack taken by means of their superior songwriting

Mark & Maggie O’Connor on Watson Stage at Merlefest on April 28, 2019 - Photo by Alisa B. Cherry Mark O’Connor is a phenomenon. That’s not a label to be taken lightly. With 45 albums of his own recorded over the

The common thread found with all the bands that create Bluegrass Beyond Borders lies not only in the fact that they pluck their influences from the American heartland, but also in the way they tie those traditions to their homeland