We can’t be certain that Ayden and Blane Young, who perform as The Brothers Young, are the youngest bluegrass artists to put out a Christmas CD this year, but it’s a pretty safe bet. Ayden, 15, plays banjo, and his younger brother, Blane, is on mandolin at 11. Together they have released an album with 10 Christmas favorites titled Christmas in the Hills.
The brothers have been studying bluegrass for the past four years, and they have quite a lot to show for it. They play regularly in and around Roanoke, VA and have been featured several times on local television and in regional media.
For Christmas in the Hills, Ayden was responsible for all the recording in his home studio. He played banjo, guitar, and bass, and did all the mixing and mastering on these 10 tracks.
Included are grassed up versions of:
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Blue Christmas
- Auld Lang Syne
- It’s Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas
- Go Tell It On The Mountain
- What Child Is This
- Jingle Bells
- Silent Night
- Angels We Have Heard On High
- Christmas In The Hills
All are played as instrumentals, save the last, a song memorably recorded by Hylo Brown and Larry Sparks, among others.
The Brothers Young also shot this clever video, their arrangement of Jingle Bells, played in the style of Dueling Banjos.
Christmas in the Hills can be ordered on CD for $14, shipping included, by messaging them through their Facebook page. They will reply with an address to use on PayPal to send payment. The music is also available digitally, sent via Google Drive for $10.
Their Christmas album would be a great inspiration if you have young bluegrass pickers in the family this holiday season.
