Granted, there’s sometimes a suspicion about the work of younger artists who are still years away from graduating high school, much less the university. The cutesy factor can easily enter the mix, and the more precocious and personable, the greater
Reviews
-
-
Byron Berline’s Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival 2019
Just when the leaves start to fall and the air has a little chill to it, the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival (OIBF) arrives in Guthrie, OK. It begins the first weekend of October with family, feasts, and bluegrass music. For
-
The Basstree String Band
Credit guitarist Mark Jones’ time spent in East Tennessee for instilling in him a love and admiration for authentic bluegrass, both in his mindset and his mantra. Although he now resides in his native UK, it’s clear that the lessons
-
Phoenix – JigJam
JigJam boasts a clever handle, but aside from the catchy alliteration, the name neatly sums up the synthesis of bluegrass and Celtic sounds that breach the transatlantic divide, one that stretches from the band’s native Ireland to the source of
-
Waiting on a Ride – Songs From The Road Band
It seems almost gratuitous to say that the Songs From The Road Band is more than the sum of its parts. On the other hand, its players boast impressive credentials. That’s especially true of bassist and chief songwriter, Charles Humphrey
-
Pieces – Jason Barie
Credit Jason Barie, who operates here under the guise of The Ramblin’ Fiddler, for assembling a most impressive collection of singers and musicians for an album that pays homage to the origins of bluegrass and Americana music in general. Barie’s
-
Sugar & Joy – The Dead South
With all due respect to their American cousins, our neighbors to the north often seem to show the yanks a thing or two when it comes to offering authenticity within the realms of bluegrass and beyond. Bands such as the
-
Live in Prague – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
It goes without saying that Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver are among the most celebrated bands in bluegrass. Over the course of the group’s nearly 40 year career, they’ve accumulated a list of accomplishments that rivals any of those garnered by
-
Steam – Deeper Shade of Blue
Over the course of a career that stretches back some 17 years, North Carolina’s Deeper Shade of Blue — an astute quintet consisting of Jim Fraley (banjo/vocals), his son Jason Fraley (mandolin/vocals), Troy Pope (guitar/vocals), Frank Poindexter (dobro), and Scott
-
AmericanaFest 2019 takes time to bask in bluegrass
Bluegrass took stage front and center at this year’s 20th annual AmericanaFest. Granted, there’s no shortage of different genres represented under that wide umbrella, but it was a bluegrass legacy that seemed to shine throughout. That was evident practically from the