Author: Lee Zimmerman

On his new eponymous effort, Jonny Estep comes across as a veritable one man music machine. Aside from the fact that he wrote every song, he also sings them all and plays all the instruments, including guitar, mandolin, banjo and

Cascade Highway marks an auspicious debut for singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Bo Randall, a 33 year old musician raised in Southern California, formerly based in Seattle, and now living in Milwaukee for, he says, "a change of pace, the thriving

Switzerland and Appalachia may not have much in common, but they do share a similarity when in comes to their higher elevations. So it hardly seems a surprise that the band known as Caludo found common cause when it came

Missy Raines & Allegheny - photo © Natia Cinco With her new album, Highlander, acclaimed vocalist and bassist Missy Raines makes a concerted return to her bluegrass roots. An ode to her native West Virginia, it is, in her words, a

Marty Falle finds a natural fit when it comes to his love of bluegrass. That's been the case since early on, when he was inadvertently introduced to the form by a fictitious bluegrass group called the Darlings, the band that

Wisdom sometimes reveals itself in unexpected places. Take for example, the band Armchair Boogie. While the name may not necessarily hint at any overt intelligence, their new album, Hard Times & Deadlines, boasts songs that clearly convey a knowing perspective.

Cow Comino Train, based in Lyon, France, have mastered the sounds of American roots music courtesy of a descriptive and imaginative sound which digs into the fertile roots of abject Americana. It's inspired by a bounty of bluegrass and compelling

A true supergroup of sorts that pursued pure bluegrass long before that genre entered the mainstream, Old & In The Way were comprised of a veritable who's who of pickers and singers. With Jerry Garcia (banjo, vocals), Vasser Clements (fiddle,

The Lonesome Ace Stringband tows a fine line between tapping the traditional while also creating a sound that's entirely their own. It's not an easy task; after all, reverence and relevance can often be at odds. But they succeed in spades

Dom Flemons is one of those unique artists who is as dedicated to education as he is to entertaining. Not that he comes across as any sort of stern lecturer or headmaster. His dedication to bringing the archival traditions of