Author: Lee Zimmerman

There’s something to be said for adhering to tradition. Yet, there’s even more to be said for those who established that bedrock template in the first place. Those pioneers who are still with us — and making music still —

There’s always some degree of skepticism involved when you combine the talents of three seasoned musicians versed in different genres and spawned from different backgrounds. So credit Tom Mindte, Mason Via and Ben Somerville with finding common ground within a

To refer to cello player Mike Block as simply a virtuoso would seem to sell him short. A composer, educator, vocalist, and indeed a musical pioneer, his talents can’t be contained by any single  genre. His work spans any number of

If the title seems a bit of an overreach, it’s only because Williamson Branch is a far more traditional combo than a name like Classy. Sassy. Bluegrassy. might seem to suggest. Despite a varied background that incorporates bluegrass, country, Gospel

It’s a credit to bluegrass’ international popularity, that Abalone, a band from the Czech Republic would come to embrace the style as its own. Founded in 2010 as an offshoot of a previous band, P.O. Ruby, its original three members

Old Town Flood make a formidable impression with their impressive debut offering, The Roses, a set of songs that finds melody absolutely on par with musicality. That in itself says something, considering the considerable talent the band appears to have

John Lowell’s name may not be known to most folks, but that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s a superb singer and songwriter who’s drawn the respect and admiration of his musical peers. A glance at the list of those

Credit Alan Sibley & The Magnolia Ramblers for finding the ideal combination of rowdiness and reverence on their new LP, Sounds Like the South, a heartfelt set of mostly uptempo songs that allows the album  title to express its own

Canada’s Lonesome Ace Stringband comes about their purist pedigree quite naturally. Its three core members — Chris Coole (banjo), John Showman (fiddle) and Max Heineman (bass) — pride themselves on being journeyman musicians and veterans of some of Canada's top

There’s something to be said for the kind of devout devotion that the Chigger Hill Boys and Terri express on their new album, Songs Like Those for Days Like These. Granted, the divide between bluegrass and Gospel is often indiscernible,