Contemporary bluegrass comes in many varieties – neo-trad bands such as Del McCoury or Open Road, Nash-Vegas acts such as Rhonda Vincent or The Grascals, “newgrass” bands such as John Cowan and Sam Bush, Jam/rock/bluegrass bands like Drew Emmitt/Nershi or the Avett Brothers, and grass/jazz groups including David Grisman’s Quintet, Crooked Still, and Psychograss. Frank [...]
Mollie O’Brien and her husband, Rich Moore, have been fixtures in the Denver music scene for more than 30 years. And though they have released several albums over the years (culled from their many live gigs) Saints & Sinners is the duo’s first studio album together. O’Brien has the vocal power and control of a [...]
Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky have played on each other’s albums and shared concert stages, but the idea for a group album surfaced when they played together during Red House Records 25th Anniversary tour. The experience was so positive they decided to record an album. Ask experienced solo artists why they’re solo artists [...]
Peter Rowan has been the front man for bluegrass icons including Bill Monroe and Tony Rice. On Legacy, he’s still a front man, but shares the spotlight with Jody Stecher, who’s better known as an old-time player than a bluegrasser. The results are both a trip back to an era when bluegrass was still just [...]
On his first solo release, Shane Lamb delivers an even dozen bitter-sweet country/rock bon-bons. Though his music shares a genre populated by last-name folk-rock icons such as Dylan and Petty, Lamb’s music vibrates with a level of originality and personal authenticity that rivals the heavyweights. Disengage is a concept album, something about personal loss and [...]
On its third album, this Brooklynbased country/roots band pushes further into the darker side of Americana. Guitarist/lead vocalist Blake Christiana guides the band, with Trevor MacArthur on guitar and vocals, Andrew Hendryx on mandolin and harmonica, Rick Bugel on bass, and Jay Frederick on drums and percussion. Cameos by Jeremy Garrett on fiddle and Skip [...]
Peter Ostroushko channels a mixture of Stephen Foster, Carter Stanley, and Doc Boggs to create unique music that sounds much older than it is. Here, he further expands his library of heartbreakingly beautiful songs performed with understated grace. Wistfulness and a sense of longing permeate most of the tunes on When the Last Morning Glory [...]
Brazilian jazz, when played by a native group such as Hamilton De Holanda’s quintet, is far more interesting than what usually passes for Brazilian jazz. Holanda combines his native Choro music with foreign styles such as Bossa Nova and fusion without losing its essential Brazilian nature. Holanda’s quintet has an unusual assemblage of instruments; 10-string [...]
From the outside, one could easily judge Dierks Bentley’s music too slick, his status as merely a phenom on country radio. But Up On The Ridge might slap you up-side the head. Recorded with a collection of hot young pickers and bluegrass icons, this may be the best acoustic album of the year; Chris Thile’s [...]
Founding member of the The Wailin’ Jennys, here, Ruth Moody asserts her musical individuality. Using a cast of 27 musicians, she embraces a breadth of musical genres – old timey, Celtic, and even sensual pop. Moody wrote all the songs here. Though it’s not a concept album, most of the songs have a certain affinity, [...]
