Bluegrass music is an interesting spot in 2021. Perhaps for the first time since the 1990s, there are more well established “known entities” in the genre than ever. The number of highly technically proficient bands that emerged in the late … Read More
Late on a Saturday afternoon in August my mobile phone flashed a notification that I had received a message from Michael Sassano. “Hmm.. this should be good” I thought as I opened the note to find he had sent a … Read More
Dale Ann Bradley, the accomplished bluegrass singer from The Bluegrass State, released earlier this year her first LP since saying sayonara to Sister Sadie, the popular all female vocal group. “We’ve been together for between seven and eight years and … Read More
Bluegrass veteran Jeremy Garrett, best known as the fiddler for The Infamous Stringdusters released this month (August) a solo album with 10 songs that are about as diverse as Brooklyn, N.Y. and as satisfying as a Snickers bar. Bluegrass fans … Read More
I recently found myself in the parlor of a grand old Hudson Valley Victorian and was handed a copy of Desert Heart, Mountain Soul, a new duo album from longtime collaborators Chris Brashear and Peter McLaughlin. The two share 2003’s … Read More
Mandolinist John Reischman’s latest solo project, New Time and Old Acoustic, is a stunning collection of inspired acoustic music—twelve original compositions and two traditional tunes, all beautifully arranged and tastefully performed with help from an array of talented musicians. Reischman … Read More
Jesse Brock has put out a new album, Streamliner, co-produced with Dave Maggard. It pulls together a band and a set of songs and song writers that are worthy of many listens. Brock has been IBMA mandolin player of the … Read More
I just stumbled on this book while looking over new selections on my Kindle reader subscription. A recent bio of Doc Watson (very near the end of his life). The most surprising part is with my Kindle subscription this book … Read More
“Cascadia,” a progressive Bluegrass composition from mandolinist John Reischman, is named for the beautiful Cascade Range of mountains in the Pacific Northwest, which extends from Northern California to British Columbia. Two notorious volcanoes in the southern High Cascades have erupted … Read More
I found it difficult to write a review of Larry Sparks’ latest — an all-gospel effort. I’m not an outwardly religious person, but I went to Sunday school as a youngster, sang in church junior choir, and have read some … Read More