Articles

On her first release as a bandleader, Molly Tuttle displays all the talents and traits that have helped her rise to the summit of the modern bluegrass pyramid. On Crooked Tree, she’s also invited most of her peer group including Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Ketch Secor, and Dominick Leslie, as well as grizzled…

Sometimes, when faced with an album the reviewer likes and appreciate the artistry involved, it is challenging to describe the work when it doesn’t really fit anywhere.  That’s the case with Indoor Vistas, the latest effort from Ethan Sherman.  From the stunning cover art to the first-class picking, it’s all enjoyable — but it doesn’t…

Joshua Rilko’s debut album, Lost Soul/Rock & Roll, is modern is all aspects of the word. It began as a Kickstarter project that exceeded the goal and has two distinctly different “sides” — one is bluegrassy and the other, while labeled “rock & roll,” really is more Americana-ish. A mandolin player, Rilko was formerly with…

This eclectic instrumental exercise from celebrated maestro Tristan Scroggins is an intriguing exploration of melody and rhythmic fusion conducted on a 1920s-era four-string Paramount Style C-tenor banjo. This is a bit of a departure for Scroggins, who’s best known for his mandolin prowess. Though eminently listenable on its surface, the copious liner notes to One…

The long-awaited second album by Edgar Loudermilk on Rural Rhythm Records is available as of March 2022.  This is one you’ll surely want for your collection.  The project contains thirteen tracks, eight of which Loudermilk authored, bringing his songwriting credits to over fifty, including the Daryle Singletary recording “Can’t Live Life” with Rhonda Vincent.  No…

It’s obvious on Truman’s Ridge’s fifth album, Beyond the Ridge, that this group is having fun and comfortable in presenting their version of bluegrass. The regional band that mainly plays in the Midwest and down into Tennessee and Kentucky wears retro outfits complete with fedoras and gathers around a single mic at shows.  They refer…