Articles

The story of the rise of The SteelDrivers is an impressive one. What famously started as a one-off bluegrass jam in a living room in Nashville turned into 20 years of great music and accolades at the highest levels of the music world. I distinctly remember the first time I heard about The SteelDrivers 18…

The Turnpike Troubadours are possibly the most famous band that many people have never heard of. That’s a shame.\ They’re not exactly bluegrass, although they’ve covered John Hartford. They’re not exactly country, but they’ve covered Alabama. They’re not really folk, but they have covered John Prine. And while all those covers are strong fresh takes,…

Old Settler’s Music Festival Sustains a Robust Community Photos by Steve Levine/stl.images      The 38th Annual Old Settler’s Music Festival, happening this year over the final weekend in April,  was not just the latest installment of the longest-running festival anywhere near Austin, Texas. It was not just an eclectic mix of beloved and outstanding “roots”…

Graham Sharp is no stranger to bluegrass fans. For nearly a quarter century, he shared vocal duties with co-founder Woody Platt in one of the most successful groups of this century, the Steep Canyon Rangers. When Platt announced his departure, the band regrouped, added another distinctive voice in Aaron Burdett, and kept going. Sharp’s distinctive…

Colorado and the Midwest have always been locations where bluegrass music has flourished. The bands from that area have based their sound on bluegrass but have also been known for pushing the edges of the music. High Lonesome is one of these newer groups that do just that. Founded in 2018 by guitarist Chuck Sitero,…

Since his 2019 debut with the album North Country, Irish-born Danny Burns has received his share of accolades. He possesses a robust baritone and a deft songwriter’s eye and ear for emotional detail that lends itself well to his unique blend of Celtic, folk, country and bluegrass music. Burns’s new album features a pair of…