It’s hard to write a brief description of a man and a band that has epitomized bluegrass music for decades. Del McCoury is celebrating 50 years in the music business, and we’re proud to have him close our 30th Anniversary festival.
Americana music icon Richard Thompson, who saw his “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” turned into a bluegrass standard when McCoury brought it into the fold, puts it this way.
“McCoury is something special, a living link to the days when bluegrass was made only in hillbilly honkytonks, schoolhouse shows and on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, yet also a commandingly vital presence today, from prime time and late night talk show TV to music festivals where audiences number in the hundreds of thousands. Here’s a guy who has been playing for fifty years, and he’s still experimenting-still looking to do things outside the box, to bring other kinds of music into bluegrass form…I think that’s the best bluegrass band, period. That’s it.”
Del McCoury is joined by his sons Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (banjo), as well as Jason Carter (fiddle) and Alan Bartram (bass), the band also known as the Travelin’ McCourys. Del is likely to retire from touring soon, so you must make this show!
