Self-titled – Larry Keel & Jon Stickley
Larry Keel and Jon Stickley are mainstays in the jam grass world due to their energy and high octane instrumentalism. Having developed a friendship twenty years ago, the duo decided it was time to record a project capturing their musical bond. The resulting self-titled EP captures both men’s flatpicking guitar prowess, and their compositional creativity. […]
Larry Keel & Jon Stickley and Greensky Bluegrass in Highlands, NC
Paul Hoffman with Greensky Bluegrass at the Highlands Food & Wine Festival – photo © Bryce LaFoon In addition to all the yummy treats and tasty wine on offer, the 2024 Highlands Food & Wine Festival in Highlands, NC featured jamgrass music all weekend as well. Bryce LaFoon with Lightshifter Studios was there November 9, […]
American Dream finds Larry Keel taking a rare solo sojourn
Modesty is a rare commodity these days. So credit Larry Keel with having a humble attitude when a well-deserved complement is directed his way. Of course, anyone who's made a career out of making music for nearly 45 years ought to be used to a certain amount of affirmation, but when Keel's told that his [...] Experienced – Larry Keel
Few people can get away with describing their music as an “experience.” But then again, few words come close to actually describing the music of Larry Keel. To see Larry Keel perform is to have just that: a unique, singular experience that cannot be duplicated. On February 26th, Larry Keel will release his 15th self-produced [...] Photos from 2015 Mountain Song Festival
The Mountain Song Festival, hosted each year in September by The Steep Canyon Rangers in Brevard, NC to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, appears to have been another great success. Artists from all over the world performed for a large and enthusiastic audience at the Brevard Music Center. Rangers banjo man Graham [...] Bluegrass is alive and well on the Outer Banks
In all my years of playing bluegrass music, the Outer Banks of North Carolina have always held a special place in my heart. My band, Boss Hawg from Boone, NC, would travel all over the southeast, but the biggest highlight of the year was the week we’d spend on Ocracoke Island, playing in restaurants and [...] Larry Keel talks new music
With a rich background in Appalachia, and years of picking their own brand of vivid bluegrass blended jam music, it is undeniable that The Larry Keel Experience is one of the most lively acts on the festival scene today. Attendees at their Jefferson Theater show in Charlottesville, Virginia last Friday got a heaping helping of [...] Lockn’ Music Festival 2014
Last weekend I was absolutely overjoyed to participate in the four day experience that was Lockn’ Music Festival (year two) in Arrington, Virginia (between Charlottesville and Lynchburg). Everything at Lockn’ was titanic, from the “interlocking” main stage (which enabled seamless and immediate transitions from one artist to the next) to the phenomenal talent that filled [...] Red Roots interview with Larry Keel
Fans that stayed up late enough at the first night of this month’s Red Wing Roots Festival at the Natural Chimneys of Mount Solon were lucky enough to see an energetic performance by Larry Keel and Natural Bridge. Of course, any performance delivered by the Keels is a treat, but some may have picked up [...] Artist2Artist: Larry Keel – What’s in a Jam Band?
A couple months ago, I addressed the idea that far too few of us bluegrass musicians give a “tip of the hat” or “shout out from stage” to the musical artists from whom we gleaned our technique or crafted our sound. We pick up licks and recognizable musical phrasings from them, yet never reveal the [...] 