Credit the esteemed Smithsonian Folkways record label for presenting, for the very first time, a series of historic recordings culled from performances by Doc Watson with his father-in-law Gaither Carlton in New York City's Greenwich Village. It was one of
Author: Lee Zimmerman
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Norway’s Malin Petersen shares the benefits of bluegrass
Malin Petersen is what some folks might refer to as bi-continental. Raised in Norway by parents that considered themselves steadfast music lovers — her dad being a country musician and her mother a lover of jazz — she began her
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Fox Hollow Memories – Troy Engle
On his latest album, Fox Hollow Memories, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Troy Engle offers up a series of sweet sentiments, inspired by the time spent writing and hanging with the great Ton T Hall at Hall's Franklin Tennessee farm, Fox
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West of West Virginia – Professor Dan Boner
There's a somewhat cynical saying that suggests those who can do, do, and those who can't, teach. Fortunately, Professor Dan Boner is one of those individuals who finds it easy to dismiss that erroneous assumption. As director of the East
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Duo RO serves up bluegrass from Russia with Love
One of the first countries to ever reflect the extent of America's musical influence was the Soviet Union. Even at the height of the Cold War, visiting musicians from the US managed to find an immediate connection with their Russian
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Gasoline – Grain Thief
Given its unpretentious posture and makeshift inception, Grain Thief's new album, Gasoline, might have reason to offer the impression that it's as volatile as its title implies. Written on the run — in the midst of late night parties, airplane flights,
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Old Road, New Again – The Dillards
The influence of the Dillard brothers on the ever-evolving trajectory of modern bluegrass can never be underestimated. One of the prime ensembles that ushered in the merging of that traditional tapestry with a contemporary sound, championed by such '60s standbys
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: The M-City Ramblers cut Belgian grass
For the past five years, the M-City Ramblers have made it their mission to help establish a bastion for bluegrass in Belgium. Nevertheless, its evolution came naturally. The band played its first official gig at a regional contest for acoustic
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No Matter Where It Goes From Here – Wood & Wire
They say there's no such thing as overnight success, but leave it to Wood & Wire to come as close as any band can. Their auspiciously titled offering North Of Despair, released two years ago, garnered a Grammy nomination for
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Arrows – Bowregard
Boulder Colorado-based Bowregard may be newcomers as far as the contemporary bluegrass scene is concerned, but they’ve already proven their mettle courtesy of major wins in two prestigious competitions — first, the Ullrgrass Bluegrass Band Contest in 2018, followed by a