While it’s generally considered an indigineous American musical art form, albeit one originally derived from the Irish and Scottish immigrants who arrived on these shores in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, bluegrass has never been the exclusive realm
Lest anyone dare forget, bluegrass music has a soul of its own. Granted, it differs from what’s normally associated with the standard rhythm n’ blues, although the same fervor can be found in the sweep and strum of banjos, fiddles
Given her recent kudos by the IBMA as the first woman to win their award for Guitar Player of the Year, and kudos for Song of the Year at the recent Folk Alliance International confab in Kansas City, Molly Tuttle
I have a problem with Becky Buller. There I said it. My problem: After a couple of earlier reviews of Becky’s music, I’m running out of adjectives to describe her latest Dark Shadow Recording project, Crepe Paper Heart. How many ways are
Shannon Slaughter has consistently released quality music during his time on the national scene, from several years with the Lonesome River Band to more recent albums with wife Heather and his own band County Clare. His latest album, Never Standing
Would you rather hear an average rendition of a great song, or a stellar version of an average song? That's a though experiment I have rolled around in my brain for some time, mostly for fun. Ultimately, however, neither can
The term “traditional bluegrass” can mean many different things these days. For some groups, it means they play rough and raw and record live around one microphone; for others, it means they dress in suits and ties and try to
Yee-haw! The Steep Canyon Rangers are riding again! This time, they are out in the open, the great wide open! Thank goodness, because nothing about their new album, Out in the Open, should be concealed in any way. Like the
When new music arrives from Joe Mullins and The Radio Ramblers, you can pretty much guarantee hearing traditional bluegrass songs about love, regret and hope, with a bit of Gospel added for good measure. You’ll hear tight harmonies and clean
It’s time for my annual compilation of favorite recordings of 2017. It is decidedly subjective, not necessarily the best overall, but what caught my ear and imagination. There’s just one caveat: I don’t include recordings that include songs or liner notes
