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
Beginning Bluegrass Jamming Class (for all bluegrass instruments) -- Saturday, February 1st from 1:30 until 8:30 pm (dinner included) -- learn to jam on singing songs you may have never heard before -- the 7-hour-long class includes a catered dinner at 5:30-ish -- visit bluegrasstuesdays.com/about.html for FREE parking info -- this class will prepare students for most beginner/slow jams -- this class will include multiple opportunities to jam, especially later on -- $145 tuition includes handouts, MP3s, and a catered dinner Contact Tony Watt to enroll.
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.
Growing out of the success of Bluegrass Tuesdays, Lily P's is now home to a new weekly night of traditional music in Cambridge every Thursday. Old-Time Almost Fridays, named in part because we're just so excited that it's almost the weekend, aims to bring the Lily P's magic to the Old-Time community. The night will include performances and multiple jams hosted by many talented Old-Time musicians. Old-Time Almost Fridays are hosted by Tony Watt and held at chef Chris Parsons' restaurant Lily P's Fried Chicken & Oysters in Kendall Square in Cambridge. Feature band is at 7 pm then hosts a jam at 8 pm Hosted Jams in the Dining Room: Beginner friendly jam 7:30-8:30 Intermediate Jam 8:30-9:30
Join Southern Rail for an joyous evening of Bluegrass and Blueberry Buckle! The band is known for their stunning harmonies, irrepressible good humor and sparkling banjo, guitar and mandolin. Two of the band's founding members (guitarist Jim Muller and bassist Sharon Horovitch) were recently inducted into the RIBA Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Tickets will be available at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Church office during business hours. For info: 508-384-3110 office@occhurch.net
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
"A Little Light Within" - A joyous collaboration between Southern Rail and the renowned Boston Saengerfest Men's Chorus. Join us in an exuberant program of bluegrass and song! Tickets will be available at the door, and by visiting https://saengerfest.org/ Doors open at 4:30.
Ethan Setiawan & Fine Ground is visually a bluegrass band. Born of a yearning to return to bluegrass roots, Fine Ground takes time-honored traditions and imbues them with original tunes and exceptional songwriting. The band includes Setiawan on mandolin, BB Bowness on banjo, Julian Pinelli on fiddle, Alex Rubin on guitar, and Brittany Karlson on bass. Setiawan has won both the National Mandolin Championship and the Rockygrass Mandolin Championship. On his 2023 album “Gambit”, which was produced by legendary fiddle player Darol Anger, he moves aptly between stylistic influences, harkening back to the experimental string band music pioneered in the early 80s while presenting entirely original compositions.
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