Somewhere in the miasma of the non-televised Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018, the Bluegrass Album of The Year was announced. Oddly, it was a tie, between Rhonda Vincent and The Rage’s “ All The Rage” and The Infamous Stringdusters’ “Laws of Gravity”. Both are deserving winners. The Stringdusters are an interesting case, however. Their […]
Tag: dobro
Interview With Jerry Douglass
Jerry Douglas August, 2016 Something old is new again. The Earls of Leicester, fresh from their first release in late 2014 and the IBMA Entertainer of the Year Award for 2015, have followed that remarkable success with a second release, Rattle and Roar, on Rounder Records The Earls of Leicester play the songs popularized […]
Greensky Bluegrass: “If Sorrows Swim”
Greensky Bluegrass “If Sorrows Swim” Thirty Tigers Greensky Bluegrass brings it. This is not Bill Monroe’s bluegrass (although Monroe could toss a scorcher in there at will); the music has expanded beyond the accepted form for years now, into newgrass (thanks to Sam Bush and many others) and jamgrass (String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain and […]
Infamous Stringdusters: “Laws of Gravity”
Infamous Stringdusters “Laws of Gravity” Compass Records The Infamous Stringdusters have always been difficult to categorize. That’s part of their charm. Part traditional bluegrass (leaning on sound bluegrass instrumentation, namely guitar, Dobro, banjo, fiddle, and standup bass), part jam band (extended sets of songs in their live shows in which one song triggers another), and […]
The Infamous Stringdusters: “Undercover” EP
The Infamous Stringdusters “Undercover” EP Lumenhouse Recordings Known for their live shows, The Infamous Stringdusters constantly search to capture the delirium of their stage fusillades on record releases. The Stringdusters’ challenge flows, in part, from their conscious choice to stream virtually every live show for free (via Mixlr ) and to generously post, for little […]
Feature: The Infamous Stringdusters
The Infamous Stringdusters June 13, 2016 Nearly ten years on, The Infamous Stringdusters have carved out a singular place for themselves in the bluegrass/jamgrass world. The Stringdusters tour aggressively, are fixtures on the festival circuit, and have released several intriguing recording projects since late 2015: one, an EP of covers, including Tom Petty’s “American Girl”, […]
Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley: “The Country Blues”
Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley “The Country Blues” Compass Records Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley go for the heart of the matter in “The Country Blues”. The Compass Records project lives up to its billing, providing gritty country-tinged songs which place the talents of the two men on fine display. The duo is a combination […]
Andy Hall/Roosevelt Collier: “Let The Steel Play”
Andy Hall/Roosevelt Collier “Let The Steel Play” Andy Hall Music Steel guitar can prompt many visceral responses. Gutty, aspirational, down and dirty. Few musicians grab the essence of the sound, so when two collaborate on a single release, it’s cause for attention. Roosevelt Collier and Andy Hall have been playing their respective instruments, variations on […]