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Rise Early
Annick Odom, lead singer and principal songwriter of this trio—named after a wild flower that proliferates in Appalachian West Virginia—grew up in two cultures and spend her formative years in both West Virginia and the Netherlands, where she formed this band. Sweet Joe Pye currently divides its time between Europe and the Morgantown, West Virginia,…
Let It Burn
This sweet-voiced veteran Australian songbird has been called Australia’s “Queen of Bluegrass,” and it’s hard to argue with that handle, based on her latest release. It’s a masterful mainstream bluegrass outing full of fine performances and memorable songs. Cox, who topped the Billboard bluegrass charts with her seventh album back in 2020, kicks things off…
Grassology
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…
Fire on the Prairie
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…
Terra Madre
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…
High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association
High Lonesome Strings (HLS), the central North Carolina-based bluegrass club, has been in existence for almost 27 years. Pammy Davis Lassiter founded the musical organization in July 1997. It has been going strong and growing ever since with a current enrollment of 202 members. Board member Lassiter, who still handles membership, the G Run Newsletter,…