Articles

Bluegrass Radio Show Hits the 50 Year Mark While various areas of the Appalachian region are considered the main hotbed for bluegrass music, there are other faraway parts of the U.S. where the music is appreciated and thrives. One excellent example of this is Orin Friesen’s bluegrass radio show, which has been broadcast from Kansas…

Songwriter & So Much More North Carolina-born and raised, Jim Lauderdale has devoted his life to music. Not only is he a singer, he is a prolific songwriter. For his eleventh bluegrass album, he collaborated with the Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. The Long and Lonesome Letting Go (2023) features twelve powerful bluegrass tunes that Jim Lauderdale co-wrote…

I’ve had the immense pleasure of seeing Beppe Gambetta perform live at a cozy venue in Harrisburg, Missouri. He is a master of his craft; a one man orchestra. His playing is strongly influenced by the great flatpickers of our time, but also has elements of classical and contemporary music of the world. I’ve also…

Jake Leg, based on Colorado’s Front Range is the kind of band that could easily fill up an album with mind-bending hot licks played at extreme speeds. Fortunately for us all, they chose to fill up an album with powerful songwriting, memorable melodies and picking that serves the song first and foremost.  The three original…

Jason Keiser is a wizard in the bluegrass-jazz (or “space grass”) guitar tradition of Tony Rice and John Carlini, both formerly of the David Grisman Quintet. Keiser has, in fact, studied under many of the masters, including Carlini, Wyatt Rice and mandolin maestro Adam Steffey. On this dazzling, all-acoustic, instrumental collection, Keiser pays tribute to…

Bands Blurring the Lines of Bluegrass The genius of Cris Jacobs has always been his chameleon-like ability to float between genres and musical styles, making each his own.  From the rambunctious jamband energy of his first band The Bridge, to New Orleans funk and his collaboration with Ivan Neville, to his soulful brand of rock,…