Bluegrass Beyond Borders

New Sunny Side Ramblers may be a band of Swedish origin, but their music sounds as if it originated in Appalachia. The band, which consists of Stefan Danielsson (lead vocals, harmonica), Mac Robertson (vocals and guitar),Tommy Sörensen (bass), Jörgen Carlsson

The origins of the Swedish bluegrass band, Josephine & The River Boys, can be traced back a dozen years and the seminal efforts of bassist Vagn Abel and guitarist and banjo picker Kurt Johansson. The pair played together previously before

The Dutch are adept at bluegrass. One need only reference The Shiny Moonlit Boys Bluegrass Band to come to that conclusion. The band — Sebastiaan Lit (guitar, lead vocals), Mark Schilder (banjo, tenor vocals), Jean Paul Joosten (mandolin, baritone vocals),

The Canadian bluegrass band that calls themselves The Local Group describes their approach to making music somewhat broadly. "Our sound has been described as 'tight and zany'," says the band's mandolin player Justin Vilchez. "We try to really be dynamic in

The Dodge Brothers have always made it a point to tap tradition within their musical motif. The UK-based band started out as a skiffle group, playing music that was the actual English equivalent of early rock and roll, before they opted

Making music behind the Iron Curtain in the mid '80s was no small feat. After all, artistic expression was severely hampered by the authorities. That was the challenge faced by the Czech bluegrass band Notabene when they began their collective

It’s a big leap for any outfit to relocate from Brazil to Berlin, especially when an indelible impression has already been made in their native home. Nevertheless, when vocalist and guitarist Mary Lee, her husband — drummer, vocalist and washboard

The Fountaineers justifiably refer to themselves as an international outfit. While they're based in Glasgow, Scotland, only half of the band was actually born there. Banjo player Robert Hart is from North Carolina and assures us that his family and

Sweden is a nation known for its scenic wonders, its remarkable history, and the charm of its people. Bluegrass, on the other hand, isn’t the kind of music one might always expect to hear in those particular realms of Scandinavia.

The Rheinstetten-based band, 4-Star Grass, epitomizes what it means to hold international stature. Founded ten years ago, its members hail not only from Germany, but France and Switzerland as well. That's evidenced in the group's current line-up, which consists of