Music Reviews

When a Lonesome River Band CD pops up in the mailbox, I have a pretty good idea what to expect: Impeccable picking, impressive vocals and some of the best banjo picking this side of Earl Scruggs, all expertly recorded and

The cover of the new CD from The Grascals shows the six bandmates around a table holding seven coffee mugs. It’s almost as if they’re waiting for you to join them. You can call it truth in advertising. Before Breakfast is

If there was an IBMA award for blue-collar bluegrass band, Hammertowne would easily win my vote. No fancy outfits, no frills, just straight ahead traditional bluegrass delivered with a high degree of consistency. The latest evidence of Hammertowne’s craftsmanship is found

This review of One Song at a Time comes from Annie Savage, fiddler/vocalist with The Savage Hearts, educator and clinician, and PhD candidate at the University of Iowa. Look for her and the Hearts at World Of Bluegrass 2017 where

It’s 2017, folks, and just about anything goes in bluegrass music. The bluegrass world is broader than ever, with country, old time, folk, Americana, and pop influences inspiring both newer and more established artists. The “big tent” is getting bigger

Sometimes it seems that it's only a stroke of fate that decides whether strong new bluegrass singers and songwriters that hit Nashville go the country or the bluegrass route. Take Mo Pitney, an extremely talented young vocalist who is starting

In a jumbled-up world where musicians often try genre crossovers with blurred lines of what is or isn’t bluegrass music, it’s good to know you can still pick up a copy of the latest Clinch Mountain Boys record and get

Two things leap out of you when you check out the brilliant new project from the Mountain Faith Band, long a favorite here at Bluegrass Today. First you notice that they have officially changed their name to Summer Brooke and

In the thirty-plus years since its founding, Bluegrass Express has developed a steady following throughout the Midwest, winning over audiences with its strong mixture of straightforward bluegrass and Gospel, all with a traditional bent. The band has recently released its

It’s been a little while since we’ve had new music from Nu-Blu, the North Carolina-based band headed up by husband-and-wife team Daniel and Carolyn Routh. Their last album, All the Way, came out back in 2014, with hit single That’s