Americana Music Magazine – Bluegrass, Roots, Folk, Blues, and Old-Time

Editor’s note: Every year we like to take the opportunity to fly the House Concert flag. If you’ve never experienced one, you should. It’s the only music genre’ of which I know that affords musicians the opportunity to sustain a musician’s lifestyle simply by performing a few times a week, in someone’s living room. Gather two dozen friends all pitching ...

Bluesman James Armstrong hails from Santa Monica California. Born into a family of music in 1957, it seemed his destiny to follow in the family footsteps. “My father was a jazz guitar player and my mom was a blues singer. When I was five years old dad and I had a duet in which I played drums and he played ...

Many revere Lorraine Jordan as the keeper of tradition in bluegrass music. She originally hailed from the coast of North Carolina but currently resides in Garner, NC, which is just outside of Raleigh, NC. She holds court in her namesake coffee shop/music venue, Lorraine’s Coffee House, when she is not out on the road with her band, Carolina Road. She ...

Americana songwriter/guitarist Aris Paul hails from Pittsburgh, PA. He’s just released his first full length album, Drive All Night. “It’s a road-intensive album,” he told me. “And I think it’s a great offering of solid production, soulful lyrics, and top-notch musicianship. It’s a very solid collection of so many sub-genres from blues and rock to alt. country and folk.” Like ...

Nashville based, folk-Americana group, Raven and Red has been heralded by Country Music People Magazine as “very entertaining with warm melodies and even a slight commercial edge.” Classically trained Brittany Lynn Jones (Raven), along with Mitchell Lane (Red), and his brother Cole not only have impressive musical resumes, more importantly, they have a ton of talent. They’ve just released their ...

In a world where titles and definitions seem to matter, Jed “Tennessee Jed” Fisher has carved another notch in the bluegrass belt with his own contribution – Pimpgrass. It’s “soul and funk rock crossed with bluegrass and country music, aka: Bluegrass with bling.” And it’s catching on. Jed’s been traveling all across the US performing and recording with an A-list ...

For Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff, New York based Nefesh Mountain is more than just a bluegrass band. It’s a celebration of the foundational roots of music and traditions from not only the heritage of the folks who settled the mountainous regions of the US but also of the rich Jewish culture they live in. It’s not a gimmick or ...

One of the things I love about this genre’ we call Americana, is that there is so much darn good music that just doesn’t fit anywhere else. And while our little corner of the music universe is ever expanding, it’s still at its core, roots music. Whether an Americana artist is 20 or 50, nearly all will relate their path ...

The ladies have found their groove in Americana music, that’s for sure. One great example is the Loose String Band from Galax, VA. The five women range in age from 15 to 23. They’ve been together for nine years, bringing their unique sounds and harmonies at bluegrass conventions, special events, ceremonies, and festivals. These ladies are well known in the ...

So you want to perform overseas? Let’s talk about Europe. It has its own challenges and definitely has rewards. Being the wayward troubadour that I am (also the name of my new album) brings about it’s own pains and pleasures. As 2017 came to a close, I spent 10 weeks on the road with five days at home. The last ...