The piano rarely plays a prominent part in Appalachian or Americana music and is seldom the lead instrument. Jeff Little is an exception – and a remarkable one. His distinctive two-handed style, much influenced by the mountain flat-picked guitar tradition, is breathtaking in its speed, precision, and clarity. He was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music […]
Missy Raines is a trailblazer in bluegrass. She is the most awarded bass player in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association. On her new release HIGHLANDER, Raines gives a tip of the hat to the region of West Virginia where she grew up and developed her deep passion for bluegrass music. Working again […]
Amanda Cook, now entering her tenth year as the leader of the Amanda Cook Band, has left an indelible mark on the bluegrass scene. Originally from Jay, Florida, Cook's passion for bluegrass was ignited by her father, with whom she played in a band during the mid-2000s. With her down-to-earth style, profound connection with her […]
Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. Growing up in a family where music was an important part of life, they were exposed to a wide diversity of musical influences. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and […]
Mountain Home Recording Artist Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional and newgrass music, this North Carolina based quintet brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving and sincere. Their 2020-21 singles have all charted in the Bluegrass Today top 20 including “California” #1 “Irons in the […]
The Special Consensus is a bluegrass band that has achieved a contemporary sound in over four decades of performing. Band leader and founder Greg Cahill is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and was inducted into the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America […]
A singer and songwriter with a gift for connecting with sounds of the past, Mean Mary (real name, Mary James) has gained a loyal following for music that draws on vintage country, bluegrass, and traditional folk with just a touch of modern-day flash. A performer since she was six years old, she developed a taste […]
Appalachian Smoke is a contemporary bluegrass band grounded in the corners of North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Their independent release, ‘Colder Side of Love,’ received three reviews in Bluegrass Today acknowledging their talented songwriting, melodic arrangements, and smooth vocal harmonies. They bring an “edgy, modern sound” to bluegrass music and “if they stick to this […]
Characterized by No Depression as “the future of bluegrass”, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road twine innovation, tradition, and excellence into a unique musical experience. Though only in his 22nd year, North Carolina’s Liam Purcell has already established a name for himself in the world of American Stringband music. Growing up less than a mile […]
If you’re looking to be impressed, you will be – if you’re looking to make a friend, you already have. Darren Nicholson, who has played mountain music since his youth in Western North Carolina, is a high-caliber musician with substantial contributions to such acts as Alecia Nugent and Balsam Range.Yes, he’s a punchy mandolinist with […]
