New Grass Revival
String Cheese Incident
Allison Krause and Robert Plant
What say you to these?
Also “Old and In The Way”?
There are a lot of vaguely defined subcategories in bluegrass. I tend to like the groups that have more of a vocal harmoney focus versus the “high lonesome” sound. From that perspective I like IIIrd Tyme Out, Blue Highway and Mountain Heart.
Also, for a lot of these groups that have been around for a while, there have been significant personnel changes. For example, I like the Seldom Scene original band but in the but don’t care as much for anything without John Starling on guitar. Other than the original configuration, the Country Gentlemen in the 70s with Doyle Lawson are probably my favorites.
Hang out on the Acoustic Guitar Forum and you pick up Bluegrass tips and buzz on players.
WordMan - who can’t play it, but loves Mark O’Connor…
Mutt Poston.
On the way home from the show last night my wife was singing the praises of Mark O’Connor. MAN, that Darol Anger is a MONSTER on the fiddle! Really nice guy too, when we met him between sets.
Some newer ones:
Nickel Creek
The Greencards
Our local classic country station plays bluegrass on Saturdays. Not sure exactly what time, but in the evening. That’s a real radio station, by the way - live DJs, no automation.
My sister plays mando for a bluegrass trio called the Cicada Ladies, but you won’t have heard of them. Strictly local.
There is also Bluegrass Country. It was an offshoot of the NPR station in Washington, DC. WAMU. They do this 24/7
Bluegrass was so popular in the Washington DC area in the 1970s-1990s, WAMU played nothing but bluegrass in the 3PM-6PM drive time slot for that period. If your local NPR radio station can do that, then you’ve got some serious bluegrass fans listening. They gave it up the last 5-10 years or so. Bluegrass kinda peaked, and is on the backside for now.
I don’t suppose any of you guys made it to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in San Francisco? I’ve been about 4 times and a bunch of the bands you guys mentioned played. It’s a free concert in Golden Gate Concert on 6 stages! It goes for 3 days. It’s gotten a LOT more crowded, but if you stick to the off stages on Saturday and Sunday, it’s not so bad. It was awesome! You can bring your own booze and SF cops don’t give a damn, just so long as you don’t act like an ass.
I just saw Steve Martin perform with the Steep Canyon Rangers and had a great time. Even if hardcore bluegrass fans don’t consider Steve Martin to be a “real” player (and I don’t know if they do or don’t; I’m just saying if), the Rangers were amazing.