In jazz, the music is supposed to tell a story; ditto for lyrics to The Great American Songbook. I think that’s what I like about Bluegrass-this band right here, Jamie Booher/b, Joe Booher/mandolin, Josh Miller/banjo-g, Im Shelton/g and Jim VanCleve/fiddle, tell stories of sin, salvation, South, sadness and solitude at this performance in Johnson City, TN. Foreboding tales like “Blackadders Cove” and “We Ain’t Going Down Without A Fight” are band-penned tunes that grip at your heart, while the boys put some modern tunes through the Bluegrass blender, like a vibrant “These Days” and rich and endearing “Please Come To Boston.” These guys can pick and grin as well, as they show that bluegrass, like jazz, is more of an attitude than a song.
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