Reviews

We can make this easy.  If you’re a fan of the music of Lonesome River Band, Lou Reid & Carolina, Grasstowne, Lost & Found, and the Larry Stephenson Band, you’re going to like Shannon Slaughter’s latest album, Plowin’ It to the Fence. Slaughter has spent time in all of those groups, so it’s no shock…

The Knackered Ramblers is a duo of well-known artists, Laura Boosinger (banjo) and Mike Compton (mandolin). Boosinger is based in Asheville, North Carolina, while Compton lives in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Both are long-time veterans of traditional music styles that include bluegrass, old-time, string band, and gospel. Boosinger’s clawhammer style of banjo has been heard…

“Cowboy Fiddler” Eck Robertson (1887-1975) was a Texas-style fiddle player who is known to most fiddlers and many country and bluegrass music fans, partly because he was the first country artist to make a commercial recording.  On June 30th, 1922, Robertson and Henry Gilliland played two tunes for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New…

Lathemtown is the name of the north Georgia rural community where artist Kurt Lee Wheeler was born and raised. It is where Wheeler taught himself the guitar and began making his own music as he grew. In the 80s, he joined the Air Force and expanded his musical influences. He took some time off from…

For the past 20 years, this band has become true bluegrass ambassadors. They have traveled to 30 countries on 5 continents, bringing their love of bluegrass to many other cultures through concerts, workshops, seminars, and showcases. The current band consists of Ben Wright (banjo, vocals), Jon Goldfine (bass, vocals), Chris Dollar (guitar, vocals), and Jake…

One could say that Sourwood is truly an international band. While based in Ontario, Canada, other members are from Chicago and Los Angeles in the US. From Ontario are Lucas Last (vocals, guitar), Larry Johnson (banjo), and Last’s wife, Aubrey (guest vocals). Liam Lewis (mandolin) and Olivia Briedenthal (fiddle) come up from Los Angeles, and…