Everyone has roots somewhere. I have a bunch in England, Scotland Germany, and even some native roots in Upstate New York. The same thing is true with Music. A couple hundred short years ago, settlers from the UK and Ireland found themselves pushed to into and onto the other side of the Appalachian chain. They brought with them fierce independence, grit, determination, a rich ancient history and music.
Today that music is a heartfelt mix of those varied musical traditions. The Ballad. High Lonesome voices. All manner of stringed instruments and nary a drum to be seen. This is, of course, Bluegrass.
Bluegrass never disappeared, but it slipped in popularity thanks to its off shoot, Country Music. High Lonesome was replaced with Sultry. Ballads of loss and moral repercussions were buried under songs of cheatin’ and woe. Fortunately, like the tough and hardy clans that gave birth to it, bluegrass thrived in the hollers and mists of our imaginations. Always there, always the soundtrack to every story of the mountains. Thankfully, now it’s seeing a resurgence in popularity. Festivals are popping up from sea to shining sea and bluegrass bands are touring the countryside, bringing back the magic of the misty hills with them.
One of the greatest examples of this resurgence is the Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival. For the second year, they are transforming Druid Hill Park and Baltimore into the Smoky Mountains.
Last year they had a great lineup, featuring Tim O’Brien, Tony Trischka, and local favorites like Cris Jacobs and Caleb Stine. The organizers have truly outdone themselves this year. They’ve attracted some of the best talent around to Downtown Baltimore.
Here’s what you need to know:
Saturday April 26th
Line-up:
Jerry Douglas
Jerry Douglas is King of the Dobro. The list of his collaborations over the years is too long to type out. He has 13 solo albums, been featured on over 1600 other albums, writes, produces, has received 13 Grammy Awards, and Won the Country Music Association’s “Musician of the Year” three times. Bluegrass, Country, Soul, Blues, Movie Soundtracks....The diversity of the bands he has backed up is staggering - almost always in the background, making them sound phenomenal. To mention those he played with, however, would take away from his prestige as king. Check him out here and you’ll see why:
Noam Pikelny & Friends
Chris Eldridge & Julian Lage
Chris has the kind of voice you imagine
when you think of bluegrass music, and any classically trained artist
that can pick and play like Julian is bound to draw a crowd. They bring a
mix of strength, deep knowledge of their craft, and talent to the
stage.
Here they are playing “Mean Mother Blues”:Cris Jacobs
How could you have a music festival in Baltimore and not have the performer that proves Baltimore’s got soul? There are many in blues world that wish they had his kind of world-worn gravel in their voice. He’s launching a solo career after spending a decade fronting “The Bridge” and it’s off to an excellent start. His soul is on his sleeve, in his music, and he’ll be perfect in this lineup. Here’s Cris and his new band out playing “DagonFly”:
Sierra Hull
Here’s a great example from 2011, All Because of You:
Audie Blaylock and Redline
Bluegrass has a truly iconic sound, and Audie Blaylock has it in spades. Spend some time in their catalogue and you’ll discover number one single, after number one single, after number one single. Last year’s release Hard Country began topping the charts almost immediately. Audie Blaylock has taken the traditional sound, wrapped it in new fresh lyrics, and served it up for our enjoyment. Somewhere, Bill Monroe is smiling.
Tres Friends Mucho
Any band who’s Facebook page says “A trash-grass band dedicated to ruining your night” on it, grabs your immediate attention. This local Baltimore band brings the party everywhere they go. For those not familiar with the term “Trash Grass”, The Grateful Web says it best: “foot stompin, whiskey spillin, old timey psychedelic bluegrass music...”. In the interest of science, join this trip on Bandcamp, you won’t regret it. Check out their cover of “The Electric Slide” for a better look.
Free Download:
)
Mad Sweet Pangs
A good mix tape is never a compilation of the same rifs. You have to break it up to let people know that you’re not a one trick pony, and care about their enjoyment. So when you’re building a top-notch Folk and Bluegrass Festival you have to have a little something for everybody. Enter Mad Sweet Pangs. Their sound? Let the band tell you themselves: "tightly composed, ragtime-upbeat, energetic, and intimate." Their page isn’t kidding. This Delaware band has an organic sound that just feels right. You can tell when every member of a band has input and you can feel the mutual respect between these members. Whatever you’d like to call the style they play, it is nothing short of awesome.
Take a listen to “D’Artagnan”
Ken and Brad Kolonder
Who knew that Baltimore was harboring the sounds of traditional Appalachia? This father and son duo only needs about 10 seconds to transport you to the hills of Kentucky - with just a Banjo and a Hammer Dulcimer. Their Album, Skipping Rocks, underlines that sense of connection to the past that bluegrass thrives on. Ken and Brad play soft and sweet, and carry you into the mists for a drop of whiskey. You can sit for an afternoon and completely lose track of time with this album. Take a step over to their page where you can preview several albums. It’s something you don’t want to miss.
http://www.kenandbrad.com/music-and-videos.html
Comments
Post a Comment