The fascination with Appalachian music in the U.K. remains unabated. As evidence, one need look no further than a band like the Firecrackers, whose interest and enthusiasm for old timey tunes is reflected in both their upbeat approach and bond
Author: Lee Zimmerman
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Closing The Gap – Molsky’s Mountain Drifters
Fiddler Bruce Molsky has always been an ardent archivist. A former street kid from Brooklyn, he traded the bright lights of the big city for the rural environs of Virginia at a relatively early age. Over the years he’s gained a respected
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Originalist – Audie Blaylock and Redline
The title given the latest release by the veteran combo Audie Blaylock and Redline may, at first, seem something of a misnomer. While Blaylock (guitar, vocals) and his compatriots in Redline — Even Ward (banjo), Mason Wright (fiddle) and Reed
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Salem Town – Backline
With the two previous albums they’ve recorded so far, Backline have clearly made a formidable impression on their newfound fans and admirers. Singer Katelyn Ingardia is the band’s prime presence, and her stunning vocals electrify every song that finds her
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Renaissance – Billy Droze
As has been noted on these pages previously, Billy Droze has all the makings of a superstar. With any number of hit singles to his credit — which he’s penned for The Grascals, Junior Sisk, Flatt Lonesome, Darryl Worley, Shenandoah,
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Blossom Hill Bluegrass Band
The trajectory taken by Blossom Hill Bluegrass Band isn’t so easily defined. Changes in the line-up have been a part of the group’s history since the beginning, forcing a name change from its earlier incarnation as Home Territory after the
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Fireweed – Natalie Padilla
It would be hard to imagine an album more genuinely inspired or better imbued with sincerity than Fireweed, the latest offering from Natalie Padilla, a musician, educator, and enthusiast whose career has found equal standing in the worlds of both
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All Aboard – The Songs of Del Done by Cash
Granted, there’s sometimes a suspicion about the work of younger artists who are still years away from graduating high school, much less the university. The cutesy factor can easily enter the mix, and the more precocious and personable, the greater
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The Basstree String Band
Credit guitarist Mark Jones’ time spent in East Tennessee for instilling in him a love and admiration for authentic bluegrass, both in his mindset and his mantra. Although he now resides in his native UK, it’s clear that the lessons
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Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Rod McCormack’s Fingerprints
It’s a lengthy divide between the Land Down Under and the expanse of terrain that encompasses America’s heartland, but stylistically at least, singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer Rod McCormack breaks those borders down entirely. Well known for his work behind the boards as well










