Reviews

A lot of people have been taking notice of the superb talent Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers have to offer. In September, they were named the 2012 IBMA Emerging Artists of the Year. They followed this latest achievement with

One of the most entertaining groups in bluegrass music today is The Little Roy and Lizzy Show. Hailing from Lincolnton, Georgia, this enjoyable duo and their band are well-known in the worlds of both bluegrass and Gospel music for their

For most bluegrass musicians, summer is festival season. However, a number of today’s top artists took a short break from touring this past June to get in the holiday spirit. For Steve Gulley, Dale Ann Bradley, Mike Scott, and the

Today, Claire Lynch is best known as a stellar lead vocalist, session vocalist, and songwriter. She has been named IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year twice, and gathered numerous IBMA and Grammy nominations. While she has led the Claire Lynch

With Christmas quickly approaching, many artists have begun releasing albums full of traditional Christmas tunes. In the bluegrass world, that often consists of such classics as Christmas Time’s a Comin’ or Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, in addition to popular modern

Noted mandolinist Peter Ostroushko has put together a sizable compendium of mandolin music for his new 3-CD box set, The Mando Chronicles. The music is presented in a number of settings (solo, duet, trio and small ensemble), with each of the three

The Outliers, as the name of this North Carolina band might suggest, aren’t afraid to stray beyond the bounds of bluegrass for their self-titled debut CD. It’s evident in the song selection, especially on Shout – a pop hit for Tears

Mel Bay has a pair of new mandolin books, aimed at two different strata of pickers. Children's Mandolin Method, written by William Bay (son of the company's founder, Mel) is just what the title suggests. It follows the familiar method book

Talented young bands seem to pop up like weeds these days. Every time I turn around, there is another CD from a group that appears to have come out of nowhere, at least on a national level. Just such a band

With music scenes in such far-flung locations as Japan, the Czech Republic, and New Zealand, it is becoming more and more apparent that bluegrass music has come a long way from its roots in Bill Monroe’s western Kentucky hometown of