When a Danny Barnes album shows up in the mail, you have no idea what to expect. His creativity and musical adventures have kept him from being pigeonholed into any specific genre or style. So as you open his new
Music Reviews
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Songs From The Heart – Billie Reneé
Perhaps the surest sign that bluegrass has grown to a mature musical form is the fact that it has now segmented itself into a number of subsets. Each has its own dedicated following, with artists catering to the style, labels
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Made To Move – Chris Jones & the Night Drivers
My favorite term to use when I’m talking about Chris Jones & the Night Drivers is “classy-grass.” The group’s music is smooth and tasteful, featuring some of the best, most thoughtful songwriting of almost any current bluegrass group. You’re not
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Debut album from Colonel Zachary Wright
On February 3rd, Colonel Zachary Wright released a self-titled album steeped in bluegrass tradition. At 15 years old, Zachary is an ace at the Stanley style of banjo playing and this album sure showcases him and his Stanleytone. Don't let
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Sho Nuff Country! – Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show
Karl Shiflett has always been a throwback specialist, and his many recordings over the years have reflected his respect and admiration for the music of bygone eras. Bluegrass and traditional country are his areas of expertise, and the current edition
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Triangular – The Jon Stickley Trio
If there was some type of IBMA momentum award recognizing “The band that defies all odds,” The Jon Stickley Trio would need to clean a spot on their mantle. The Jon Stickley Trio is surprising everyone, probably even themselves, as they
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Laws Of Gravity – The Infamous Stringdusters
So long to this cage I’m in I don’t belong anywhere I’ve been I need a new song as I hit the road again Into the wind The opening verse on the Infamous Stringdusters’ 7th studio album, Laws of Gravity, perfectly captures the spirit
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Darin and Brooke Aldridge go Faster and Farther
Every recording artist no doubt sets out to make his or her newest CD better than the last one. Some, frankly, don’t succeed. Others smash right through the “better” barrier, taking their careers to lofty new heights and setting the
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Hanging Tree – Blue Mafia
A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to catch the last few songs of a Blue Mafia show at the Down Home in Johnson City, TN. Though I’d heard the band on the radio plenty of times (their 2015
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Feels Like Home – Mary Beth Cross
In today’s music world, where the boundaries between genres are ever blurrier, many artists choose to step outside of their musical comfort zone and record an album in a different style. Sometimes they take a huge leap – Steven Tyler,