Sometimes it’s a blessing and sometimes it’s a curse, but the word prodigy is often used to describe young artists such as Sierra Hull. With Hull, however, the label may just stick. Her mandolin playing is nimble and sure, and her wispy vocals evoke Alison Krauss. This 16-year-old is good — and she’s getting better. [...]

From Muleskinner and Old & In The Way to the Bluegrass Album Band and the Dreadful Snakes, bluegrass music has produced a handful of short-lived supergroups. Eleven years into their tenure, Longview has fared better than most. Deep In The Mountains, their first album in six years, also reflects a significant lineup change. Veteran members [...]

Jamie Dailey just finished nine years working with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Darrin Vincent spent the better part of a decade with Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder. Both Skaggs and Lawson are known for putting together powerful traditional bluegrass ensembles, but Dailey and Vincent have chosen to explore an even more traditional acoustic sound: the [...]

A multiple-IBMA award winner and long-time member of Claire Lynch’s touring band, Jim Hurst is one of the most versatile acoustic guitar players on the contemporary bluegrass circuit. Hurst augments his flatpicking with hints of Merle Travis and Jerry Reed, bending and sliding until his notes take on an almost vocal quality. As its title [...]

Charlie Sizemore is back. After a five-year hiatus, the practicing attorney, and former Clinch Mountain Boy, delivers a hard-hitting album of bluegrass and straight country music. The song topics are familiar: lost love, found love, Jesus, the Civil War, drinking problems. Sizemore’s mellow voice is especially well suited to the country-flavored material. He gives Randy [...]