Toronto’s Slocan Ramblers had a big night in Nashville last fall when they were invited to make their debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry. The got the full treatment, with their own reserved parking sign, and a big buildup on the show.
Banjo player Frank Evans tells us that they had been looking forward to this opportunity for some time.
“They had reached out to us a while back, and we told them we would love to do it. After several months we thought it might not happen, but then they called and offered us a Friday slot for November 11.”
They made the trip down, and were able to bring some family along to savor the vibe.
Evans say that it was a bit surreal for him, as the Opry had been such a big part of his childhood dreams.
“I remember growing up, my dad had a compilation album of Opry stars, and it came with a little piece of the original curtain. I grew up idolizing the Opry, and never thought I would ever get to play there.”
But when showtime came around, it was all business for the Ramblers.
“We opened with I’ve Always Been A Rambler. There’s certain things about bluegrass that really brings people in, and by the end of the song, they started clapping and standing up. I think the band choreography really wakes an audience up. It’s been a part of bluegrass for so long.”
In addition to Evans, The Slocan Ramblers are Adrian Gross on mandolin, Darryl Poulsen on guitar, and Charles James on bass.
Franks tells us that it was a wonderful experience for all the guys, and that the level of excitement was off the charts.
“We were waiting in our dressing room until they called us out. After they called us, we were waiting side stage while Bill Anderson was singing. He did a couple of extra songs, which just built up our expectation and excitement.
The Opry people are so nice, they kept thanking us for being there.”
The Ramblers also shared some photos from the Opry.
Canadian bluegrass band The Slocan Ramblers prove the point that place of origin has nothing to do with a reverence for the roots. Winners of the 2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award, this year’s recipients of the Canadian Folk Music Awards’ Ensemble of the Year, a 2019 Juno Award Nominee, the band have attracted a faithful following on both sides of the northern border.
Formed in 2011, the band currently consists of mandolinist Adrian Gross, banjo player and vocalist Frank Evans, guitarist and vocalist Darryl Poulsen, and bassist and vocalist Alastair Whitehead. Longtime festival favorites, their next major milestone will be achieved this Saturday, November 11, when the band makes their debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry, sharing a bill that will include, among others, such notables as Bill Anderson and The Oak Ridge Boys.
Following their Opry debut, the band will stay in Nashville to record two new singles for a 2024 release. They come on the heels of the band’s latest album, Up the Hill and Through the Fog, a cathartic look at the troubles and tribulations that have affected the word over the course of COVID. The first single will be a cover of Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown, in honor of the late Canadian musical legend. The second, Forever Has Come to an End, was written by Nashville songwriters Buddy and Julie Miller, and stays well in keeping with the band’s rip-roaring bluegrass sound. Both tracks will feature 14-time Grammy Award-winning dobro legend Jerry Douglas.
Recently, Bluegrass Today had the opportunity to speak with banjo player and vocalist Frank Evans about the upcoming honor of appearing at the Opry, and the other accomplishments the group has attained to date.
For starters, how did you learn about the invitation to perform at the Opry?
Our agent had told us that he had been in touch with the Opry, but not to get excited until there was a concrete date. I think we all acted as if it wasn’t going to happen, so as to not be too let down if it fell through. We were ecstatic when we were sent a Saturday night slot.
So beyond that, what was your initial reaction?
It’s hard to put into words the feeling. It’s something you work towards your whole career. After spending so much time traveling and being away from our families, this makes it feel all worth it.
Doyou have any trepidation – given that this is an auspicious occasion?
I’m sure we’ll be nervous right before we go on stage, but those thoughts can sometimes lead to your most vibrant performances. We’re also very excited to see all the other acts on that same night.
Your band has received a number of kudos. Does that set a high bar at this point? Do you feel like you have a reputation you have to live up to?
As a Canadian band, it means so much to have received some of the recognition we’ve received amongst so many incredibly talented American bluegrass bands. We never take these opportunities for granted. All we can do is try to be as musical as possible at every performance and hopefully inspire more folks to discover the genre.
What sort of feelings do you have about being a Canadian band who is finding such success in a genre that’s normally associated with the American heartland?
We’ve found the bluegrass community to be some of the friendliest and most welcoming people we’ve ever met. We’ve never been made to feel like outsiders. People often ask us, “How did you get into bluegrass growing up in Toronto.” There’s quite an appetite for bluegrass, and has been for a long time, all over Canada. It’s very closely related to some of the Canadian fiddle traditions and some of the biggest folk festivals in North America that have been going on for decades all across the country.
Who were and are your musical influences?
We all have our heroes on our respective instruments such as Tony, Earl, Ralph, and the list goes on. One of our biggest influences was a Canadian band called The Foggy Hogtown Boys. They were an amazing bluegrass band that played every Wednesday night in Toronto. So too, I think to really understand bluegrass, you have to see it live. I remember parking my chair every week and just being completely blown away by the fast picking, tight harmonies, choreography around one mic, and the whole sound of a live stringband. If I were to pick one band that had the most influence on us, it might have to be them.
Was it difficult to find your footing and to be taken seriously?
I think starting any career in the arts has its difficulties. For the most part, people have been incredibly kind to us over our whole career.
What inspired you to play bluegrass to begin with?
I first heard the banjo at a concert in Toronto called the Banjo Special when I was ten years old. I immediately knew that was the instrument I wanted to play. My first teacher was a clawhammer player called Chris Coole who was a fabulous teacher. He inspired me to go to Clifftop Festival in West Virginia early on. My parents took me down after one year of banjo lessons and I got to jam with a bunch of heroes. I was completely hooked after that.
How would you describe the band’s trajectory so far?
We’re just happy to have been able to support ourselves and our families playing bluegrass. We feel very fortunate to be able to do the thing we love the most for our career.
How does one stay true to such a hallowed tradition while still making an individual imprint? Is it ever hard to stay true to tradition and still maintain contemporary credence? How do you do it?
I think one of the interesting aspects of the band is everyone’s love for old-time music. There have obviously been players over the years who have played both styles, but we really try to incorporate the mindset into almost all of our arrangements. That might mean discarding solos and only playing the melody or choosing harmonies very deliberately to sound like Roscoe Holcomb. The combination of the old-time influences mixed with our own songwriting hopefully gives us a new sound that is true to its roots.
Having achieved all these milestones, what remains on the proverbial bucket list?
This band has never toured mainland Europe. We have some plans to make it over there this summer, which we’re really looking forward to.
Tickets for The Sloan Rambler’s Saturday night performance at the Grand Ole Opry are on sale now. The performance will air live on Circle TV, Facebook Live, YouTube, and WSM Radio. More information is available at the Opry website.
Toronto’s Slocan Ramblers have been getting noticed increasingly this past few years for their fresh take on contemporary bluegrass. They were named Momentum Band of the Year by the IBMA in 2020, not long after receiving a Juno nomination the year before.
The Slocan Ramblers are Frank Evans on banjo, Adrian Gross on mandolin, and Darryl Poulsen on guitar. Former bassist Charles James also appears on the record.
Here’s a music video from last year featuring one of the songs from the album, A Mind With A Heart of Its Own, a Tom Petty song from 1989.
Also winning an award from the CFMA were Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves for Instrumental Group of the Year. The two acclaimed old time artists record and perform as a banjo/fiddle duet, and the award is based on their current album, Hurricane Clarice on Free Dirt Records. They also won for Traditional Album of the Year.
Here’s a live video of Allison and Tatiana playing a medley from the record, the title track, which was written by Hargreaves, combined with Brushy Fork of John’s Creek.
Many congratulations to Allison and Tatiana, to the Ramblers, and to all the nominees and winners!
It’s a credit to the Canadian outfit that calls itself The Slocan Ramblers — Darryl Poulsen (guitar, vocals), Adrain Gross (mandolin, mandola, vocals) and Frank Evans (banjo, vocals), and guest Charles Hames (bass, vocals) — that they don’t allow their obvious allegiance and affinity for bluegrass to upend their ability to express their sentiments according to their individual whims. Their latest Toronto Arts Council album, aptly titled Up the Hill and Through the Fog, stays true to basic precepts, but also allows room for the emotions that have informed their collective mindset over the course of the past two years.
While their triumphs have continued seemingly unabated — as exemplified by their nomination for a Juno Award and honors that came courtesy of the IMBA when they were named Momentum Band of the Year — Gross and Poulsen’s loss of close family members, the decision by their former bassist to step back in order to spend more time at home with his own loved ones, and, of course, the pandemic itself, which shut down their ability to tour, brought that progress to a sudden stop.
Yet while the new album takes its impetus from the circumstances surrounding this tragic turn of events, it’s hardly a sad or somber series of songs, at least compared to what might have transpired. Indeed, Billy Fernie, You Said Goodbye, and the riveting instrumentals Platform Four, Harefoot’s Retreat, and Snow Owl, are upbeat and exuberant, with no trace of calamity or misfortune whatsoever. Even the slower songs — the tellingly titled I Don’t Know, Streetcar Lullaby, andWon’t You Come Home — manage to retain an uplifting attitude that belies any sense of remorse or regret. The sentiments are expressed with utmost sincerity, while maintaining the instrumental dexterity that’s always been a mark of this fine band.
Of course, bluegrass music has always provided an emotional outlet borne from both honesty and humility. Credit The Slocan Ramblers with taking that stance several steps further. In the end, Up the Hill and Through the Fog makes for a journey that’s well worth sharing.
It’s for I Don’t Know, an offbeat sort of love song from banjo picker and vocalist Franks Evans, who spent the pandemic shutdown composing new material for the group. This one lists all the reasons for someone to not be in a relationship with the singer, with each chorus ending up, “I don’t know what she sees in me.”
Yet it that wonderful way that bluegrass uniquely allows, it comes out sounding like a joyous celebration.
Check it out…
In addition to Evans, the Ramblers are Adrian Gross on mandolin, Darryl Poulsen on guitar, and Charles James on bass. Frank, Adrian, and Darryl have all contributed new songs to the next album, many of which share the grief and uncertainty felt by many during the recent pandemic.
Toronto’s Slocan Ramblers announced today details about their next album, along with a debut single and music video.
Up The Hill and Through the Fog is set for release on June 10, with 12 new recordings from the band, mostly written during the pandemic, which saw the loss of family members for mandolinist Adrian Gross and guitarist Darryl Poulsen. Both suggest that these latest compositions reflect the realness of the situation we have all just endured, with the legitimate threat of viral infection coupled with societal panic and overeaction.
They have also included a rock cover of Tom Petty’s A Mind With A Heart of Its Own, which serves as the album’s lead single. The original was included on Petty’s 1989 record, Full Moon Fever, perhaps the rocker’s most popular project, which also featured mega-hits Free Fallin’ and I Won’t Back Down.
There was no need to speed this one up for a bluegrass treatment, as it was an up tempo number from the start, and the Ramblers retain the rockin’ edge with slide banjo from Frank Evans. Fans of Petty’s cut will surely appreciate this grassed up version, as will fans of the sort of blues-inflected bluegrass gaining favor these days.
One of the most common cultural ties that bind the US and Canada comes in the form of a mutual musical connection, one borne by a shared love of sounds spawned from the heartland, whether it’s the Appalachian Mountains or the prairies of Saskatchewan. Bluegrass contributes to that common bond, and nowhere is that better expressed than in the music of The Slocan Ramblers. Having formed in 2011, The Toronto-based band have released three albums over the course of the past nine years — Shaking Down the Acorns (2012), Coffee Creek (2015), and their latest, Queen City Jubilee (2018). In addition, they’ve toured the US, opened for Jerry Douglas at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, performed at the IBMA, and headlined the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival in British Columbia.
Boasting the same line-up now as when they first started, the group consists of mandolin player Adrian Gross, banjo player Frank Evans, guitarist Darryl Poulsen, and bassist Alastair Whitehead. Not surprisingly, they originally convened after they discovered they shared some common influences.
“I grew up playing old-time banjo, which isn’t a far reach from the bluegrass world, and so it was a natural progression for me,” Evans recalls. “Darryl was exposed to Tony Rice at some point before we met, and Adrian’s uncle had some early blues and folk records in his collection. There was a fairly strong bluegrass scene in Toronto as we were exploring the music, and before we became a band, the three of us would go to the weekly bluegrass night at a bar called The Silver Dollar. The bar itself was a dive, to say the least. The owners of the bar also ran an all-night rave venue next door which you could often hear through the walls. It made for a particularly memorable vibe for a bluegrass night.”
Despite the disparity between setting and style, the impact on the individual members was fairly substantial and, as Evans goes on to explain, a decided influence on their future designs. “The pick-up band that played there weekly was called Crazy Strings, and I think they were the biggest influence for us getting together,” he suggests. “It was made up of some of Canada’s finest bluegrass musicians, and they played with a very rowdy and energetic style that would often blend bluegrass and old-time. A huge part of their presence on stage was crowding around a single vocal mic, and they always had a selection of songs that showcased their true knowledge and love for the genre. We’ve been incredibly fortunate to see and play alongside some of the finest bands in bluegrass, but I would still say Crazy Strings had the biggest influence on usoverall.”
Evans credits Whitehead for originally suggesting the band gets together. “He knew Adrian and Darryl from attending music school at Humber College,” Evans explains. “Alastair and I had been working in a bike shop together for a while, but it wasn’t until one of our colleagues said, ‘Wait…aren’t you both into that weird country music stuff?’ that Alastair quickly arranged for the us all to meet. It was so much fun that we continued to play periodically, and it wasn’t very long before we got our first gig opening up for a friend’s band at a place called Mitzi’s Sister. Unlike the Silver Dollar, this place had a proper stage with working lights, speakers, and bartenders who didn’t look as if they wanted to strangle you for ordering a beer! Best of all, there was no all-night rave venue next door to compete with! We felt like we had hit the big time! Just before we went on stage, someone asked us for our band name. We had worked so hard on putting forty-five minutes of material together, yet we had completely forgot to come up with a name. Alastair quickly said, ‘The Slocan Ramblers,’ which was the name of an old abandoned mine he used to hike up to in British Columbia as a kid, and the name was born.”
Evans also says that there are marked similarities between traditional Canadian folk music and bluegrass of the American variety. He notes that Quebecois style fiddling uses cross tunings, which is also an essential element with Appalachian fiddle styles. So too, step dancing is a big part of certain Canadian fiddle contests, which, in itself is another form of clogging.
“I believe the clearest parallel between traditions is the long history of Canadian folk festivals,” Evans remarks. “Much like how American bluegrass festivals have grown and evolved over the past 50 plus years, Canadian folk festivals have long been a popular summer activity for music lovers to attend, including Toronto’s Mariposa Folk Festival which started in 1961. There’s no clearer way to see the similarity between traditions than when a festival throws a bluegrass band on stage with a Quebecois fiddle group, and they’re forced to find common ground for an hour in front of an audience.”
Meanwhile, the Slocan Ramblers have also done their part to carry on the continuity. They’ve toured steadily for the past six years, and during that time, they’ve played a variety of venues ranging from senior assisted living homes to massive concert halls. “I think we’ve experienced the entire spectrum when it comes to audience reaction, which can be a very large spectrum,” Evans suggests. “Our strongest following is in Western Canada and the Southeastern United States, where the crowds can be very vocal and energetic. There’s always an adjustment period when touring somewhere else, especially if the crowds are a little more subdued. The first show we ever played in the UK, the audience was so quiet I was absolutely sure people were anxiously waiting for the intermission so they could politely sneak out. After the show, the CD signing table had a huge lineup of very friendly people wanting pictures and autographs. That taught me to focus solely on the show and nothing else, because trying to guess whether the audience is enjoying it is a road not worth going down.”
Surprisingly enough, Evans says that the group doesn’t play in their hometown very often, and when they do play there — which is usually one big show once a year —they receive ample support from friends, family, and the traditional music scene that the city shares. At this point, however, most of their efforts have gone towards expanding their following in other parts of Canada, the US and the UK.
“One of the great things about playing summer festivals is that you get to meet and play with some of your biggest inspirations,” Evan insists. “One particular highlight that comes to mind is sharing a bill with Peter Rowan in Colorado. He was touring as a duo, so he asked us to be his backing band for the last couple of songs. I remember him asking us if we knew Midnight Moonlight, which none of us did at the time. He said, “It’s easy. You guys will pick it up in no time.’ Maybe it’s just me, but that is definitely not a song you can just pick up on the fly in front of an audience. We somehow made it through without any major train wrecks, but it was close! We ended up having dinner together after the show and listening to some of his legendary stories from the road. In fact, it always amazes me how welcoming and friendly the bluegrass community is. We’ve been lucky enough to be around some of our absolute heroes, and not one of them has ever made us feel unwelcome.”
That said, The Slocan Ramblers are also intent on establishing their own imprint while tapping tradition as well. “We’re all big fans of old-time music, and it’s always been a big part of our band’s sound,” Evans explains. “Although our songs feature instrumental solos, we will often finish a song with everyone picking the melody. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that we are the first band to ever blend bluegrass and old-time. Ralph Stanley was a great clawhammer player, and Buddy Thomas can play Martha Campbell just as well as any bluegrass fiddler. Every band incorporates their influences differently, and I think we have a unique take on blending the two. Bluegrass can sometimes turn into a feat of technical athleticism which, to my ears, strays away from what I like most about the genre. I’ve always wanted to play in a band that focuses on close harmonies, interesting rhythmic textures, and creative interpretations of the melody, which is what we strive to do with every record. In January 2021 we’ll be returning to the studio for our next full-length album, which you can find out more about by following us on social media (@slocanramblers) as it progresses.”
It’s only natural then to find Evans attesting to bluegrass’ international popularity.
“A live bluegrass show is captivating, even to an audience who might not listen to folk music,” he offers. “It still amazes me when watching a great bluegrass band to see how much power, rhythm, and melody comes from a few acoustic instruments. No special effects, no lights — just wood, wire, and unaffected vocals gathered around one microphone in its purest form. Audiences seem to love the condenser microphone choreography, which is a graceful dance of stepping in and out of the microphone without knocking anyone out with a head stock.”
The Slocan Ramblers are an ideal example of grassicana’s northern sweep and universal embrace, dancing along the line between bluegrass and old time music. Hailing from Canada, the quartet — Frank Evans (banjo, harmonica, vocals), Adrian Gross (mandolin), Darryl Poulsen (guitar, vocals), and Alastair Whitehead (bass, vocals) — are remarkably adept as both individual players (their performance at Jam in the Trees two weekends back proved one of the festival highlights), and bring an amiable approach that underscores their assured grip on bluegrass basics. While their songs are clearly rooted in tradition — Mississippi Heavy Water Blues, Just to Know, Sun’s Gonna Shine In My Back Door Someday and Hill To Climb being but four of the more obvious examples — their’s is a populist approach that finds a common bond with bands like the Steep Canyon Rangers, the Infamous Stringdusters, Town Mountain, and Mountain Heart in particular. It’s a knowing sensibility that embraces modern musical aesthetics while still retaining the vintage trappings that accompany tradition.
Queen City Jubilee, the band’s third outing to date, is also their most confident and assured. While most of the music is upbeat and effusive, it’s the slower songs — Long Chain Charlie and Moundsville, Makin’ Home, First Train in the Morning — that allow for a vibe of reflection and contemplation, while also exploring opportunity to appreciate the deeper nuances of melody and melancholy. That’s not to say their upbeat outlays aren’t equally well pronounced; instrumentals such as Down in the Sugarbrush, Shut the Door and New Morning show off their skills with a knowing sense of drive and determination, allowing each individual member to shine through their solos.
That adherence to form is also reflected in the uptempo tunes as well. Through and Through, Just to Know and Mighty Hard Road all come across with an honesty and integrity that informs authenticity at its very core. There’s no presumption or pretence associated with Slocan Ramblers’ sound, but rather there’s a reverence for the bonds that bluegrass imposes on those that follow its dictates so tacitly and tenaciously. As its title implies, Queen City Jubilee is both festive and frenzied, but it’s skill and subtlety that form its essential additives and, in turn, make it the soaring celebration it is.
Toronto’s Slocan Ramblers have a new album, Queen City Jubilee, set to drop on Wednesday, and have agreed to let us premiere a track for our readers here at Bluegrass Today.
The band consists of Frank Evans on banjo and vocals, Adrian Gross on mandolin, Alastair Whitehead on bass, and Darryl Poulson on guitar.
The track is one called Through and Through, an uptempo grasser about loyalty and true love, which Evans says was the first song he has sung which he didn’t write.
“When Adrian brought Though and Through to the band I was really excited to start playing it. In the past, who ever wrote the song was the person who sang it, but this was the first time we tried to match the right voice with the right song. It was interesting to learn how Adrian had pictured the phrasing of each line. After arranging the whole thing it felt as if I had borrowed his ears for a couple of hours. We wanted to leave the arrangement fairly simple so the story would stand out on its own. It’s one of my favorite songs on the album – it has an old sound but it’s uniquely modern in its own way.”
Look for Queen City Jubilee on Wednesday, June 15, wherever you buy music, or from the band’s web site.
The band starts a US tour tomorrow through the 24th in support of the new record.
Authenticity is a hard commodity to come by, a casualty of the need for commercial credence. Traditional music may not be the most viable option in the marketplace today, but the resurgence of bluegrass and the emergence of that hybrid known as “Grassicana,” both here and abroad, shows that listeners are indeed enticed by the new populist precepts.
As a result, there are ample reasons why more bands are referencing their roots. As this column aims to prove, even bands that hail from beyond the American heartland are making music without gimmickry or pretence while still attracting a devoted following in the process.
One such band is known as the Slocan Ramblers, a Canadian collective whose name sounds as authentic as the vintage sound that emanates from their grooves. They don’t just adapt bluegrass for their mantra; they devote themselves to it entirely. As a result, they sound so authentic, they could easily pass for an Appalachian ensemble circa the ‘30s or ‘40s, with Woody Guthrie at the helm no less. To achieve that goal they eschew most modern accoutrements in favor of banjos, guitars, and mandolin, even to the point of integrating an ample number of instrumentals into their musical mix.
“I think a lot of the roots of the music are the same as much of the traditional music we have here in Canada,” bassist, banjo player and occasional singer Alastair Whitehead explains. “A lot of the instrumental tunes are the same ones fiddle players in Canada play on the east coast or in the Ottawa Valley. The influence of the Scottish and Irish fiddle music is something familiar, while the influence of American blues and jazz gives bluegrass a unique sound, the blend of the two creates a sound that really seems to resonate with a lot of people. It’s hard to put into words. Something about the music is just infectious, there’s a reason it gets around.”
Indeed, the band’s last effort, Coffee Creek, not only boasted its share of cover songs (Roy Acuff’s Streamline Cannonball, Alton Delmore’s Mississippi Shore, Woody Guthrie’s Pastures of Plenty) and traditional tunes (Groundhog, Rambling Sailor) but also well-etched originals (Coffee Creek, Call Me Long Gone, Galilee) that make it hard to tell what came from the pens of the band members and what was borrowed from archival sources. Ultimately, this is Grassicana the way it was meant to be played, with energy, exhilaration and commitment.
“I grew up on the east coast of Canada in Newfoundland where there is a strong tradition of folk music, in particular Celtic music,” Whitehead continues. “There is no shortage of kitchen parties with fiddles and accordions, people picking tunes and socializing. While I wasn’t exposed to bluegrass all that much growing up, I was definitely around a lot of fiddle music, and people that like to get together and play folk music. It wasn’t until I moved to Toronto that I really got into bluegrass. I was studying jazz at college and getting a little burnt out on it. I had a few bluegrass records that I had been listening to a lot, and decided to try and check out some of the local bluegrass bands. As luck would have it, Toronto had one of the best weekly bluegrass shows in Canada. Every Wednesday at the Silver Dollar you could see some of Canada’s best bluegrass pickers play three sets for three bucks. It was always packed and the band always sounded incredible. There was something about the music and the energy and the community of the bluegrass scene in Toronto that reminded me a lot of the music I had grown up around, and really drew me in. It was pretty immediate. I was totally hooked. It was all downhill from there!”
Naturally then, the similarity in styles between American roots music and the folk tradition that Whitehead grew up with made for a natural transition. As Whitehead suggests, it’s all part of a universal language that utilizes the same attitude and inspiration. It’s certainly a sensibility that hasn’t been lost on our neighbors to the north. Whitehead and his bandmates can attest to its universal appeal.
“Bluegrass definitely has a strong foothold in Canada,” Whitehead agrees. “As a band, we have toured all over North America, The U.K., and as far as Israel. It never ceases to amaze me that everywhere we go there are always bluegrass fans. We always connect with people that really know the music, and in almost every case play the music themselves. Canada is no exception. There is bluegrass pretty much coast to coast in Canada. Much like the U.S., it varies from east to west. Certain provinces seem to have picked up different aspects of the music, and some places seem to be a little more traditional or progressive than others, but there’s bluegrass in one form or another pretty much all across the country. We are blessed with a very vibrant bluegrass and old time scene here in Toronto, with live bluegrass happening pretty much every night of the week. There is a really great scene with some great players out in Nova Scotia and the east coast, and a lot of great bluegrass happening in Alberta and B.C. There’s some great festivals, and bluegrass camps up north in the territories as well. To be honest if you didn’t like bluegrass it would be pretty hard to get away from it.”
