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Keller Williams (Photo by Taylor Crothers)
Keller Williams released his 25th studio album, Speed, last year, and it was his third collaboration with flatpicker Larry Keel and bassist Jenny Keel, following 2006’s Grass and 2012’s Thief.
Since then, Keller has embraced live-streaming in our pandemic times, and he has a show on Wednesday, Aug. 19 via StageIt that’s sure to touch on his collaborations with The Keels and more!
Elizabeth II won the 2020 Wammie Award for Best Rock Song with “Lonely.” (Photo by Mark Caicedo)
The MusicianShip recognized winners of the 2020 Washington Area Music Awards, or Wammies, in a series of virtual announcements with Events DC last week.
Parklife DC salutes the 2020 Wammie Award winners!
The Travelin’ McCourys (Photo courtesy IVPR)
DelFest, the festival brainchild of Del McCoury and his extended McCoury family, has just announced DelFest at Home, a streaming event celebrating musical highlights from DelFests past.
Happening during the originally scheduled festival weekend, May 21 through May 24, the free online event will feature performances from the festival’s namesake and his family as well as bluegrass and jam band luminaries such as Trey Anastasio Band, Bela Fleck and Chris Thile, Greensky Bluegrass, and more.
The Del McCoury Band performs at Ram’s Head On Stage in Annapolis in November 2017. (Photo by Casey Vock)
Ronnie McCoury, the eldest son of bluegrass legend Del McCoury and the longtime mandolin player for The Del McCoury Band, says he’s never had this much free time in the four decades he’s been performing music.
Ronnie was just a 13-year-old kid when he got his first glimpse of his father’s buddy Bill Monroe playing the mandolin, and, not long after, he was playing gigs alongside his dad. All these years later, Ronnie’s an eight-time International Bluegrass Music Association Mandolin Player of the Year and, just last year, produced the association’s Album of the Year — “Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass” — with his dad.
Odetta Hartman (Photo courtesy the artist)
With a heart-stopping voice and wide-ranging instrumental talent, Odetta Hartman carries cowboy soul into an era where country can clash with computers, and bluegrass isn’t afraid of bass.
Odetta livestreams a performance for Sixth & I Living Room Sessions on Friday, April 24.
John Prine (Photo by Danny Clinch)
(Editor’s note: Folk musician John Prine, 73, died of complications related to COVID-19 on April 7.)
A Personal Remembrance of John Prine
I only saw John Prine live once. In November 2017, he played DAR Constitution Hall. Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys opened the show.
The Lil Smokies jam on stage at DC’s legendary 9:30 Club, March 7, 2020. (Photo by Ari Strauss)
The Lil Smokies had March 7 circled on their calendar for quite some time. For several months, the progressive bluegrass band from Missoula, Montana, anxiously anticipated stepping onto the stage at DC’s legendary 9:30 Club for the very first time.
Trampled by Turtles performs at Baltimore Soundstage on Feb. 22, 2020. (Photo by Casey Vock)
What separates one band from the next might be the degree to which it challenges itself within the confines of whatever genre it is pigeonholed — and exercising creativity while respecting particular forms and traditions of your craft isn’t always easy.
For going on two decades, Duluth, Minnesota-based Trampled by Turtles has earned a reputation in the studio and on the road for testing the upper limits of bluegrass power and tempo while simultaneously honing the sweetest harmonies to ever come out of the Zenith City.
Marty Stuart performs at The Birchmere on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Rashad Polk)
If you have even the slightest interest in country music, you owe it to yourself to see Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives. The Fabulous Superlatives — “Cousin” Kenny Vaughan on guitar, “Professor” Chris Scruggs laying down the bass, and “Handsome” Harry Stinson keeping the beat on the drums — are an all-star team of Americana players. Marty is a former child prodigy who was already playing professionally with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt as a teenager.
The Lil Smokies (Photo courtesy IVPR)
Progressive bluegrass band The Lil Smokies released of their third studio album, Tornillo, last month. Recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, with producer-engineer Bill Reynolds (The Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, Midland) Tornillo is a focused and refined representation of the sound The Lil Smokies have become known for, Live For Live Music deeming the release “…an album with a point to make.”
The Lil Smokes stare a bill with Joe Pug at 9:30 Club on Saturday, March 7.
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