CMT Blog: Archive

Is there a better way to celebrate International Bluegrass Month than by getting really international? None that I can think of, which is one reason I’m happy to be winging my way across the Atlantic to spend two weeks on tour with Sally Jones. It’s a cool gig on its own, but it’s also a great way to check out the European bluegrass scene during its busiest month — and to see some good friends and neighbors along the way, since we’ll be crossing paths with the likes of Tim O’Brien and the Infamous Stringdusters.Of course, if you haven’t already made plans to visit the Continent during May, it’s probably a little late. Fortunately, thanks to two recent releases, you can get a couple of good tastes of European bluegrass anyhow.

The first is an omnibus collection of live cuts from an annual Dutch festival, 10 Years of European World of Bluegrass. It’s a great introduction to both sides of the scene, featuring visiting U.S. groups like Dan Paisley & the Southern Grass and the Claire Lynch Band along with a representative assortment of homegrown European bands. What’s striking is the variety of sounds that are emerging over there, from polished, Doyle Lawson-influenced groups like Relief to the raucously eclectic style of Stroatklinkers. Surprisingly, a healthy number of the best straight-ahead bands come from central Europe — Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Who’da thunk it?

The other is the debut release from G2, a Swedish group that won the EWOB’s “#1 European Bluegrass Band” last year. Where The Tall Grass Grows is an exciting piece of work, with strong original songs performed in a contemporary but unmistakably bluegrass vein. If you’re a fan of the Stringdusters, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Mountain Heart and other young, modern groups, snatch this one up; you can thank me later.