Reviews

Lorraine Jordan opened Thursday at Christmas in the Smokies as the MC. She and Tim White have been sharing the duties. Lorraine’s father, Royce, is usually the emcee, but is home with a case of pneumonia. We all need to

The fires in Gatlinburg have been extinguished, but the flame of hope still burns brightly. This year’s edition of Christmas in the Smokies, presented by Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, kicked off Wednesday afternoon. Lorraine announced that the festival will

Since making the decision to pursue music full-time in 2011, Callahan, Florida’s Harris family – better known as Trinity River Band – has experienced quite a run of success. With songs like Better than Blue, How Blue, and Rusty Old

This review of the Al Ras Bluegrass Festival is a contribution from Spanish banjoist, educator, and composer, Lluis Gomez. The fifteenth edition of Al Ras Bluegrass Festival took place this November in Barcelona and Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona, Spain). Al Ras is the

For this reviewer, the most anticipated album of 2016 has been this self-titled, debut project from Heidi & Ryan on Mountain Fever Records. It's been on my mind since I first saw them perform live at the SPBGMA convention in

Even if you get to see your favorite band multiple times a year, it’s still a treat when they release a live album. If done right, live albums capture bands at the top of their game. They’re filled with hits,

David Davis & the Warrior River Boys journeyed from Alabama to the snowy northeast November 26 and 27 for concerts in Bainbridge and Porter Corners, NY, for the Jericho Arts Council and Adirondack Bluegrass League. They drew solid crowds of traditional

Fans of flatpicking guitar are as inclined to find the two guitar duo as the ideal place to practice their art as they are the fuller sound of a full bluegrass band. The lead lines don't have to fight against a

Though Sideline was originally formed as a side project for several prominent musicians during the winter bluegrass off-season, the group has become a full-fledged touring and recording act. There have been a few changes to the band’s lineup, but they’ve

The banjo is arguably the core of bluegrass music. For many folks, it’s the key to whether or not a song or album can be considered bluegrass. I’ve heard many a traditionalist despair that it’s been all downhill since Manzanita.