Music Reviews

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A true musical devotee and revered bluegrass staple, Larry Stephenson has plied his craft in service to that seminal sound for the past three decades. It’s little wonder then that 30 serves as an apt testament to his tenacity and

Lonesome River Band are one of those rare contemporary bluegrass outfits that have the means of combining old school precepts with a decidedly modern melodic sensibility, without sacrificing the integrity of either. It’s a difficult juggling act to be sure;