Your Favorite Bluegrass Groups

[irishearl]

Bluegrass is 1 of 4 music genres I enjoy. Am always on the look-out for new to me groups I might enjoy, so I figure I might hear of some new ones if I post this. What are your favorite groups? Mine in order are:
The Infamous Stringdusters

Yonder Mountain String Band

Hot Rize

Henhouse Prowlers

 

[elbert]

I know just enough to know that they're not really Bluegrass, but I love Old Crow Medicine Show.
I went to the Sioux River Folk Festival in Newton Hills State Park outside of Sioux Falls, SD last summer. The set I most remember was The Railsplitters, which I enjoyed. Also playing were Jackson's Flat Boat, Honeysuckle, Trout Steak Revival and a few others. I had an absolutely delightful time, even considering they didn't have a liquor license. I'll be watching this thread

 

[irishearl]

elbert, that sounds like my kind of festival. My wife and I are from South Dakota. Do you live there? She's a native of Sioux Falls.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Old Crow Medicine Show, Trampled by Turtles, Flatt and Scruggs, The New Lost City Ramblers, Railroad Earth, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, and more!
Love me some bluegrass! Great Bluegrass festivals all over the state all summer long up here! Most notably Salmonfest. Awesome time. Ninilchik, Alaska, a town of a few hundred people turns into a tent city of thousands for three days. Three stages and hundreds of bands, many of the above having played it. Super fun.
Given that it is Alaska though, you will experience all of this in a veritable haze of reefer smoke, so bring your respirator. Or lots of snacks if you're into that... ::

 

[irishearl]

Heard all the ones you mentioned alaskanpiper except New Lost City Ramblers. I rather like Railroad Earth as well.

 

[seldom]

The older stuff from The Seldom Scene is worth checking out. In my opinion Duffy had one of the best tenor voices in bluegrass.

Live at the Cellar Door and the 15th Anniversary and 20th Anniversary concerts are a good way to get a taste.
Alaskanpiper, there has been some good music out of Alaska. I recall when I was working out of Cordova a really talented group of young bluegrass musicians that called themselves "Bearfoot Bluegrass". That would be almost 20 years ago. Used to be a bluegrass festival out near Talkeetna, don't know if it is still happening. Most of my time in Alaska was in the bush, off the road and ferry system, so I didn't get to many of the music events but the ones I got to I really enjoyed.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Alaskanpiper, there has been some good music out of Alaska. I recall when I was working out of Cordova a really talented group of young bluegrass musicians that called themselves "Bearfoot Bluegrass". That would be almost 20 years ago. Used to be a bluegrass festival out near Talkeetna, don't know if it is still happening

Yeah, I actually went to school with Annalisa Tornfelt who is in Bearfoot. Her mother was my violin/fiddle teacher. They are great. As far as I know they are still making music but it's not quite as bluegrassy. There are a few awesome bluegrass groups here locally. A lot of good just general jam band music as well. Talkeetna Bluegrass was rad. I know they shut it down for a few years, im not sure if it is back now or not. There are at least 10 others that are equally awesome now though. Always a party.
Off the road and ferry system is the best place to be

 

[donjgiles]

Here is the trailer of an upcoming doc...
https://vimeo.com/335466254?fbclid=IwAR1CTYAOAtRJVQLHF426NKBZ7qPrsHwQvDU3knWmvvcjsM8BgKXWbFJCric
Don

 

[alaskanpiper]

I'll be watching that for sure! Thanks!

 

[hawky454]

Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys and Iron Horse. I like some of Old Crow too. 16 Horsepower could be considered bluegrass at times and they are one of my all time favorite bands.

 

[elbert]

elbert, that sounds like my kind of festival. My wife and I are from South Dakota. Do you live there? She's a native of Sioux Falls.

Iowa born and raised. I live in the company truck full-time now, but if I do take time off Sioux City is usually still where I take it.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I would add to my list above, the Pickin' on series (PIckin' on metallica, Pickin' on' pink floyd, Pickin on acdc, etc) is actually pretty darn good bluegrass music. Call me a childish immature goon (you wouldn't be wrong), but I'm a sucker for their album "This is just a tribute: Bluegrass wrecks the music of tenacious D". I was "that age" when tenacious D started making music, and it's nostalgic, but beyond that, the instrumentals on the Pickin on version are awesome and its some good foot stompin bluegrass.

 

[bnichols23]

Any bluegrass is good bluegrass! I'll take anything from the archetypal to the new stuff. Seldom Scene's always been a favorite, as of course Bill Monroe & Lester & Earl, but I love it all!

 

[georged]

I actually went to school with Annalisa Tornfelt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mzjL5147i4&t=3m0s

 

[alaskanpiper]

Yeah, the Tornfelts are an insanely musical family. Her sister Emily, brother Tyler, and little sister (I want to say Kirsten?) Hope I'm getting all those names right, were all rock stars on stringed instruments in elementary school. The wee girl had the smallest violin I have ever seen and already knew how to grind that axe. Like I said their Mom was our music teacher, and their dad (I think his name was Robert?) was a composer or something like that. Super talented family for sure, and their mother was a great music teacher! She got me rockin that violin pretty quick. I am ashamed to say I set it down a few years later and never picked it back up. Sure wish I had kept playing. May have to give it another shot sometime and try and learn again.
Learning stuff as an adult (especially instruments and languages) is so much harder as an adult :?

 

[sablebrush52]

I was in a bluegrass band for a couple for years while I was in college. We called ourselves the Chaos Mountain Boys after the floor we all lived on. It started as a lark, but to our surprise we started getting bookings for parties, clubs and other college campuses. We performed at the Topanga Canyon Bluegrass Festival and had a ball. Never made much money at it, but enjoyed ourselves immensely. I did vocals, which was a scream because I have a crap voice, but it worked for bluegrass, and if there was a piano around I'd switch it up with some ragtime.
The thing came to an end when we were approached by a promoter who wanted to develop us and take ue on the concert circuit. Our two leads had to choose between going on the road or going to graduate school, and graduate school won. Ahh...what might have been.
Never much cared for Country and Western, but I loved bluegrass and old timey.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Sounds like quite the experience, sable!

 

[bouwser]

Man the groups mentioned are all amazing. Some others that I have either scene or listen to regularly:
Ralph Stanley

David Grisman

Tony Rice

Sam Bush

John Hartford (didn't get a chance to see)

Tim O'Brien

Chris Thile (Nickel Creek or Punch Brothers)

Bela Fleck (Anything by him is top notch in my book)

Del McCoury and his sons

Greensky Bluegrass

Jerry Douglas

Peter Rowan
Seriously I could keep adding to this list but that might get expansive and boring. Check out the above if you haven't before. I think I've seen everyone but Hartford play and all of them were amazing.

 

[tuold]

I'm a SteelDrivers fan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-x4xbX1kBM

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Stanley Brothers?