The energetic and tight conversation between Tatiana Hargreaves’ fiddle and Allison DeGroot’s clawhammer banjo on the tune “Eighth of January” struck me immediately. Continuing on my listening journey, I realized, at some point, that this whole recording is driven by … Read More
SURPRISE! I’m a “traditionalist” when it comes to bluegrass music. I literally grew up on it. I love bands who have the chops to re-create the old original numbers, like the Earls of Leicester. I also like bluegrass bands who … Read More
There are some bands you encounter where it’s difficult to understand how they reached any level of prominence. Della Mae is not one of those bands. Their quick rise to one of the preeminent acoustic bands of our time is … Read More
Moonshiner’s Daughter is Cindy G.’s third album, coming behind her 2012 debut The Road, and her second effort Jailbreak. Her second album featured Sam Bush, Bryan Sutton, Seth Taylor, Rob Ickes, Todd Phillips, Scott Vestal, Aaron Ramsey, and Rhonda Vincent … Read More
I get the feeling the Gibson Brothers had a lot of fun making their latest album, Mockingbird, which was released in November 2018 by Easy Eye Sound. This record wasn’t conceived as a Bluegrass album, and, sure enough, it isn’t … Read More
This beautiful instrumental album presents eleven original tunes from rising mandolin star David Benedict. A sublime listen, The Golden Angle manages to be inventive and original while holding a delicate balance with traditional instrumental bluegrass. “Lawnmower” Featuring legendary Nashville pickers … Read More
We’ll cut to the quick; there seems to be two views on drums in bluegrass. The first take, to borrow a phrase from Bill Monroe, is “That ain’t no part of nothin.” The second take is to view the drums … Read More
I’m a long-time fan of David Davis — his mandolin playing, his singing, his background (nephew of Bill Monroe’s first Blue Grass Boy, guitarist Cleo Davis), his courtly Alabama manners, his band, and his work ethic. He’s been playing bluegrass … Read More
Like Flatt & Scruggs or Reno & Smiley, the duo name of Hazel & Alice resonates as a source of inspiration for bluegrass novices or professional musicians. You don’t just hear Hazel & Alice, you know it’s them. So, Glory … Read More
Rudy Ekstein is a mandolinist based in Asheville, North Carolina who delivers twelve original tunes in a classic bluegrass ensemble setting. A stellar list of supporting musicians make up the various ensemble formations: Stuart Duncan, Jeff Autry, Mark Schatz, John … Read More