Two legends of the folk/roots world—Grammy-nominated fiddler extraordinaire Bruce Molsky and banjo master Tony Trischka— return to Meadow Hall for an evening of old time string band wizardry. The two will trade songs from their broad and beloved catalogs as well as the deep well of American traditional folk tunes, both well-known and recently unearthed. Groton Hill Music Center
Mardis Gras Night featuring a Southern style home cooked dinner and a the high energy exuberance of Southern Rail! Snow date will be Sunday Feb. 9. Appetizers at 4:30. Dinner 5-6. Cash bar. Concert 6-8. A limited number of concert only tickets will be available. Last year was a complete sell-out, so reservations highly recommended. Free parking is available at First Parish's Meetinghouse, 327 Concord Road, Sudbury, or across the street, behind Sudbury Town Hall
The Boston Bluegrass Union is excited to announce JamVal 2025 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel over Presidents Day Weekend, February 14-16, 2025. Just like the original JamVal, this will be a weekend-long bluegrass “non-festival” focused on jamming. There will be dozens of workshops and jams hosted by loads of amazing musicians and teachers, and one big difference from usual festivals: no big stage show to distract from the picking! Stay tuned for ticketing and hotel info.
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 the Ebony Hillbillies. Nearly three decades later, the Carolina Chocolate Drops formed and took the tradition to new heights. As of 2023, a new Black string band has emerged to carry the torch: New Dangerfield. New Dangerfield was originally conceptualized by award-winning bluegrass banjoist Tray Wellington, who enlisted three other acclaimed Black roots musicians: multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kaïa Kater, bassist Nelson Williams (Chris Jones & the Night Drivers), and fiddler and singer Jake Blount. Irrepressible and adventurous from the start, the band is musically versatile and charismatic. Groton Hill Music Center
Sierra Hull is widely regarded to be a as a master of her instrument; A two-time Grammy Nominated artist and songwriter, recognized for both her most recent projects, 25 Trips (2020) and Weighted Mind (2016), she is also the 4x recipient of IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year, the first woman to ever receive this distinction. A pioneer for acoustic music throughout her already impressive multi-decade career, she has graced the country’s most iconic stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and the White House. Groton Hill Music Center $45-65