Author: Lee Zimmerman

At first it seems like an unlikely combination at best — a bluegrass band that sings in Spanish and adds elements of Latin music to their material. Nevertheless, Che Apalache, a four-man string band based in Buenos Aires that includes

Jerry Douglas Band at MerleFest 2018 on the Watson Stage - photo by Alisa B. Cherry It’s little wonder that MerleFest bills itself as a family-friendly event. The reasons are obvious given the multi-generational mix that runs the gamut from youngsters

Old Salt Union is a young band, but one well versed in timeless tradition and the ability to make music that’s energizing, exuberant, versatile and vibrant. Ironically, their origins are anything but ordinary. Consider their makeup — a horticulturist, a

Although ostensibly an example of fiddle finesse — and a lavish one at that — Mike Barnett’s Portraits In Fiddles is more akin to a well organzied superstar jam, with notables such as Divid Grisman, Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton, Michael

Ask most Americans what they know of Norway and you’re likely to hear a few scattered responses that make reference to fjords and chillier climes. Of course that can be attributed to abject ignorance and a tendency to stereotype when

While it’s generally considered an indigineous American musical art form, albeit one originally derived from the Irish and Scottish immigrants who arrived on these shores in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bluegrass has never been the exclusive realm

Lest anyone dare forget, bluegrass music has a soul of its own. Granted, it differs from what’s normally associated with the standard rhythm n’ blues, although the same fervor can be found in the sweep and strum of banjos, fiddles

Bluegrass Police at Rocky Top in Tokyo - photo by Naomi Gingold for WUNC It may seem odd to imagine, but bluegrass is big in Japan. Then again, it’s not all that surprising considering the fact that country music has always

Given her recent kudos by the IBMA as the first woman to win their award for Guitar Player of the Year, and kudos for Song of the Year at the recent Folk Alliance International confab in Kansas City, Molly Tuttle

Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn at the Tennessee Theater (March 24, 2018) - photo by Alisa B. Cherry It’s one thing to start your set on time. It’s quite another to begin before you’re even due onstage. By that measure then, Béla