Every year, the FreshGrass Foundation commissions artists to create new music to be premiered at one of our festivals. These premieres have become special, eagerly anticipated moments each year–but they’re also more than just an on-stage highlight, a chance to hear extraordinary new music that has never been performed in public before. The commissions are … Continued
The newest winner of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize (Co-Presented by FreshGrass) and an American Banjo Hall of Famer, Cynthia Sayer is an instrumentalist/vocalist/bandleader renowned for bringing the swinging sound of jazz banjo to concert and festival audiences worldwide. Praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by The New York Times, Sayer is a pioneering artist … Continued
Bearing witness to the accelerating negativity of global affairs, Steel Pulse emerges with musical vengeance to halt the disarray of humanity. The bands twelfth studio production, titled Mass Manipulation, reflects four decades committed to bettering mankind through music. Steel Pulse continues to be revolutionary in engaging controversial topics of racial injustice and human rights on … Continued
Returning to FreshGrass from their triumphant win in the Band category of the 2023 FreshGrass Awards, Boston based Jamgrass Supergroup Cahaba Roots is set to dazzle once again on the big stage at this year’s FreshGrass | North Adams!
For nearly 15 years now, the three members of The Langan Band have been carving out their own lawlessly virtuosic path of sound; rampaging through the boundaries of conventional genre and cavorting into the territories of wild abandon, purest intimacy, and unconditional musical elation. The trio were initially brought together by a deep respect of … Continued
Andy Wrba is a native of Berkshire County and a central fixture of it’s thriving musical community. Andy founded the berkshire jazz collective in 2012 to showcase the talent and diversity of a multitude of local and regional artists, creating music and projects that supports the berkshires and beyond. Andy developed and curated a weekly … Continued
Darol Anger: Freestyle Fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent. Exceptional among modern fiddlers for his versatility and depth, Anger has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as … Continued
Like the powerful mandolinist and composer at its helm, John Reischman & the Jaybirds fashion a stylish take on bluegrass that seamlessly blends original songs and instrumentals with Appalachian old-time music for a truly unique band sound. Now in their 20th year, with seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative … Continued
Although she has played roots music since her teenage years and performed in various bands from her early 20s, it wasn’t until she was 36 that Laurie decided to venture out on her own. Her solo recording, Restless Rambling Heart, introduced the national music audience to Laurie’s talents and versatility. The CD, produced by Tim O’Brien, … Continued
A century of forgetfulness and erasure has led to diminished public awareness of the Black string band tradition – and equally diminished numbers of Black string bands. Once numerous, these ensembles have grown few and far between. In recent decades, only one Black string band has emerged per generation. The 1980’s saw the birth of … Continued
