Author: Lee Zimmerman

Balsam Range with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble - photo by Mike Duncan Photography Granted, one might consider a billing of bluegrass and small orchestra as an unlikely combination. And who could blame you? On the other hand, as Balsam Range

The Canadian bluegrass band that calls themselves The Local Group describes their approach to making music somewhat broadly. "Our sound has been described as 'tight and zany'," says the band's mandolin player Justin Vilchez. "We try to really be dynamic in

First things first. Did the band choose their handle based on the fact that they drink well or simply drink from a well. It really doesn’t matter, given the fact that their seven song EP, Make Good Neighbors, provides an

Sierra Hull at the inaugural CaveFest at The Caverns (10/22) - photo © Alisa B. Cherry It’s nothing short of remarkable that an inaugural festival can achieve perfection on its very first try. We've seen it twice in the past month

Their otherwise off-putting handle aside, Leftover Salmon has risen to the top rankings of the current crop of the progressive bluegrass elite, having helped establish the form when they initially formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1989. Over the course of

Thomas Cassell possesses a formidable resume. A founding member of the East Tennessee progressive bluegrass band, Circus No. 9, he was accorded the 2020 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award, 2021 National Mandolin honors and, in 2016, the RockyGrass Mandolin

While Old Salt can claim Belgium as their home base, in reality, they're an international outfit in every sense. The three core members of the band are Dan Wall (lead vocals, banjo, violin), who hails from the USA, and his

Their handle aside, Acoustic Syndicate have never settled for any single strictly defined sound. Given their seamless fusion of bluegrass, roots, rock and other seemingly disparate genres, the band never fails to offer the unexpected when it comes to shifting

Festival favorites Ragged Union have acquired a stellar reputation courtesy of ongoing appearances throughout the US and as far afield as China and the UK. Three albums on, they've reaped recognition on both celestial and satellite radio, while making their

Alison Brown is that rare combination — both an artist and entrepreneur whose success at the helm of her label, Compass Records alongside her husband, co-owner and bandmate Garry West, has made it one of the leading independent labels encompassing