It’s evident even at the outset that Wood & Wire appreciate the essence and nuances of grassicana, not only in the way they construct their adept arrangements, but also in the sources that serve as their inspiration. While the title
Music Reviews
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Lonesome Panoramic – Hot Buttered Rum
It ought to come as little surprise that Hot Buttered Rum’s recorded catalog contains a fair amount of concert albums, especially when considering the fact that they’re a band whose instrumental outlay translates well to live performance. With nine offerings
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Something Higher – Leftover Salmon
Leftover Salmon find that rare divide between bluegrass tradition and the populist preferences of the jam band world. On their latest release, Something Higher, it allows for a steady influx of sounds and styles that make any attempt at typecasting
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Queen City Jubilee – The Slocan Ramblers
The Slocan Ramblers are an ideal example of grassicana’s northern sweep and universal embrace, dancing along the line between bluegrass and old time music. Hailing from Canada, the quartet — Frank Evans (banjo, harmonica, vocals), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen
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Next New Heartbreak – Brad Hudson
Its a knowing musician who can bring listeners to the heights of sheer elation, and then ease them down with measured tomes offering reflection and rumination. Indeed, if thats the definition of an engaging artist then suffice it to say
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Hills and Home – High Fidelity
There’s something to be said for the effusive enthusiasm of bluegrass stirred with sentiment and spirituality. Indeed, that’s an initial indication of authenticity, a tack that High Fidelity pursues to the fullest. Well-garbed in their matching outfits and making no
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True Grass Again – Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road purvey the essence of traditional bluegrass, but play their songs with an edge and urgency that often hints at a deeper designs. While the vocals and instrumentation pay heed to archival precedents — Bill Monroe
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Songs of the Mountains, Songs of the Plains – The Roe Family Singers
There’s something to be said about traditional music. Real traditional music, not the kind of sound that’s attempted for interpretation only or used as some sort of commercial cash cow. Kudos then to Kim and Quillan Roe for turning their
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An Unearthed Gem from Lauderdale and White
Jim Lauderdale’s newest record is also his oldest. Like a treasure unearthed from a time capsule, it’s a perfectly preserved artifact from a particular point in time, in this case 1979. The short history of the Yep Roc CD, Jim Lauderdale and
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Cover Story – Love Canon
Cover Story, the 4th album from Virginia's Love Canon, is among the most interesting releases we have covered at Bluegrass Today. It's not really a bluegrass record in the traditional sense of the word, or even an exhibition of bluegrass