Tag: Friends & Neighbors

WATCH: Boyz II Men Bring Out Steep Canyon Rangers

Posted on by Editor

Boyz to bluegrass?! You read that right. R&B legends and vocal virtuosos Boyz II Men have collaborated with North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers for this stunning reproduction of the bluegrass group’s 2007 song “Be Still Moses.” During a Boyz II Men performance at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center, twelve members of the Asheville Symphony joined the Rangers for this video, capturing what may very well be a once-in-a-lifetime performance of the song.

Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris remarks, “The other day someone said ‘Boyz II Men does bluegrass?’ We laugh cause it sounds crazy, but to us good music is good music no matter what genre.” Graham Sharp of the Steep Canyon Rangers adds, “I give credit to our producer Michael Selverne and to Michael Bearden for their vision of bringing together two very different musical worlds for a moment that transcends any genre designation.”

Watch as musical traditions collide and stars align in this illuminating performance.

WATCH: The Wild Feathers Sing Alone at the Ryman

Posted on by Editor

Celebrated for its acoustics, the mother church of country music hosts this special performance by the Wild Feathers. This Nashville band blurs the lines between country and rock, while never forgetting to pay respect to the roots of American folk music. Watch as the Wild Feathers deliver a moving performance of “Lonely is a Lifetime” huddled around one microphone in an empty Ryman Auditorium.

Photo credit: Alysse Gafkjen

WATCH: Rhiannon Giddens Plays the Tiny Desk

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Former Carolina Chocolate Drops leader and old-time music maven Rhiannon Giddens has the uncanny ability to sing through an audience. In May, she released her third full-length, studio album, there is no Other, with Nonesuch Records. In this new chapter, Giddens collaborated with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, who is known for his virtuosity on percussion and jazz piano. Giddens, Turrisi, and bassist Jason Sypher stopped by NPR to perform some music from the latest record; watch as they stun the audience huddled around the Tiny Desk.

Photo credit: Claire Harbage/NPR

WATCH: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on ‘Bluegrass Underground’

Posted on by Editor

PBS has launched their ninth season of Bluegrass Underground, a television series of roots music concerts from the cavernous heart of middle Tennessee. Since the show’s launch, dozens of famous acts in bluegrass, blues, Americana, and country music have graced the stage. Now filmed at The Caverns, an awe-inspiring cave venue in Pelham, Tennessee, the upcoming season will feature acts like Keb’ Mo’, Steve Earle, the Brothers Osborne, Josh Ritter, the Devil Makes Three, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose performance was the season opener. Watch as this timeless country band commands the cave on Bluegrass Underground.

Photo credit: Glen Rose

WATCH: J.S. Ondara Sings “Lebanon” on ‘CBS This Morning’

Posted on by Editor

American folk music truly has a global audience, and J.S. Ondara is proof. This young singer-songwriter is from Kenya, and in a relentless pursuit of the music he loves, Ondara moved to Minnesota in 2013 to be close to Bob Dylan’s roots and to get a taste of what shaped America’s finest folk singer. (Read the BGS interview.)

Since then, Ondara has been making a name for himself across the country, earning himself a recording agreement with Verve Label Group and a nomination for Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2019 Americana Honors & Awards. Performing “Lebanon” from his 2019 album Tales of America, here is J.S. Ondara on CBS This Morning‘s Saturday Sessions.

Photo courtesy of Tell All Your Friends PR

WATCH: David Crosby’s Tiny Desk Concert

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, David Crosby stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk with the Lighthouse Band. This is not just a lineup that hinges on David Crosby — the Lighthouse Band has three other accomplished writers in Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Michelle Willis, and Becca Stevens. Reminiscent and smooth, reverent and fresh, these artists combine their talents to make something greater than the sum of its parts. Watch David Crosby and the Lighthouse Band on NPR.

Photo credit: Anna Webber

WATCH: Lindsay Lou, “On Your Side” (OurVinyl Sessions)

Posted on by Editor

Lindsay Lou has teamed up with OurVinyl for her newest release, “On Your Side,” a thoughtful and introspective number featuring her mesmerizing singing style. She has established herself in the roots music world as an exemplary writer and performer by maintaining a busy touring schedule and refining her sound meticulously over time. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of hearing a Lindsay Lou song, watch this live performance of “On Your Side.”

Photo credit: Scott Simontacchi

WATCH: Old Crow Medicine Show Unplug for “Methamphetamine”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Have you heard? Old Crow Medicine Show has a live album in the works! Scheduled for an October 4th release, Live at the Ryman is designed to feature selections from their many shows at the mother church of country and bluegrass. As a teaser for the project, the band stopped into the Ryman to record this special performance of their 2008 song “Methamphetamine.” Watch it right here, on BGS! 

WATCH: Tanya Tucker, Brandi Carlile & Tenille Townes, “Delta Dawn”

Posted on by Editor

Three generations of country music come together in one performance: Tenille Townes, a newbie on the country block; Brandi Carlile, an established singer-songwriter at the peak of her career; and Tanya Tucker, legendary performer and the Bluegrass Situation’s Artist of the Month. Together, they perform “Delta Dawn,” one of Tucker’s signature songs. Hear this soulful rendition of this country classic.

Read our interview with Tanya Tucker.

Photo courtesy of Cracker Barrel