Articles

Fiddler Justin Branum was one of these musicians.  Before the pandemic, Justin was on the road with Lee Ann Womack, but it wasn’t just the pandemic that prompted him to come off the road.  In 2019 he got married, had already been teaching fiddle for many years, and he had also had success producing a…

Ida Clare offers a new project of original material that blends their mix of bluegrass styles. The band is based in Louisville, Kentucky and includes Lea Cockrell (vocals, guitar), Jim Wheatley (vocals, mandolin, harmonica, guitar), Robin Thixton (vocals, banjo), and Nick Stevens (bass, piano). Others include Rob Edwards (percussion), Jeff Guernsey (fiddle, resonator guitar), Todd…

Colorado-based Orchard Creek—Dave Richardson, vocals, banjo; Keith Murdock, vocals, Dobro; Jan Springer, vocals, guitar, Kevin Slick, vocals, mandolin and Todd Ball on base—emerges fully formed on their first full-length album, with fine musicianship, including some stirring harmonies, as well as intriguing, artfully crafted original songs. The band’s accomplished harmonies don’t just hint at bluegrass oldies…

Bluelight Records  BLR 332332 Led by Jussi Syren (mandolin, lead vocals), the Groundbreakers members hail from both Finland and Europe. Formed in 1995 the others in the group include Tauri Oksala (banjo, resonator guitar, vocals), J.P. Putkonen (guitar), and Tero Maenpaa (bass, vocals).  The group has toured around six European countries, and in the States,…

The Kentucky Colonels were as progressive and innovative as Billy Strings is today and Osborne Brothers were before them. The guitar magic—there’s no other word—conjured by Clarence White, melding with his older brother Roland’s dry, almost plaintive vocals and spot-on Monroe style mandolin, created a thrilling new sound. The highlight, to many fans was their…

Arkansauce had no genre borders in mind when they set out to record their fifth album OK to Wonder. As a rule, says bassist Tom Anderson, the band members write what they like and “it just comes out as it comes out; any sort of genre or descriptor comes afterwards,” he said, adding, “A lot…