Jake Blount October 29, 2023 | 2:00 PM A powerfully gifted musician and a scholar of Black American music, Jake Blount speaks ardently about the African roots of the banjo and the subtle, yet profound ways African Americans have shaped and defined the amorphous categories of roots music and Americana. His 2020 album Spider Tales (named one […]

Della Mae October 28, 20232:25 PM (set 1) | 7:05 PM (set 2) Della Mae is a GRAMMY-nominated, all-women string band made up of founder and fiddle player Kimber Ludiker, lead vocalist/guitarist Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Avril Smith, bassist Vickie Vaughn, and mandolinist Maddie Witler.   Hailing from across North America, and reared in diverse musical styles, […]

The Dirty Grass Players October 28, 20231:15 PM (set 1) | 5:40 PM (set 2) The Dirty Grass Players, a four-piece new-grass band from Baltimore, is known for having one toe-tappin’ foot in traditional bluegrass while pushing boundaries with their blazing musicianship. Composed of Connor Murray on bass, Alex Berman on vocals & banjo, Ben Kolakowski with the guitar […]

Wicked Sycamore October 28, 202312:05pm (set 1) | 3:30pm (set 2) Wicked Sycamore is an all-female trio hailing from the Baltimore/DC area, consisting of Juliette Bell on guitar, Lainie Gray on mandolin, and Madeline Waters on cello. Their sound can be described as contemporary folk with a mischievous edge that is grounded in traditional roots, […]

The High & Wides October 27, 2023 | 6:45 PM The High & Wides were formed in 2015, and have roots both in Baltimore and the rural Delmarva peninsula. They draw on a shared background playing straight ahead bluegrass, but weave in influences from new wave to old time to make music that evokes the […]

Rick Franklin October 29, 2022 | 12:00pm Rick Franklin was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1952 to a military family. The family traveled the US and England until 1968 when the family returned to Virginia and his father retired from military service. Since 1981, the Arlington, Virginia resident has been playing acoustic guitar and singing […]

Sombarkin’ October 29, 2022 | 11:45 AM The A cappella sound of Sombarkin’: Karen Somerville, Lester Barrett, Jr., and Jerome McKinney, a trio of vocalists whose sound is so well jelled it is amazing to discover just who is singing which part. The group uses the skill of vocal instrumentation and harmony to deliver an […]

Fireside Collective October 29, 2022 | 3:00 PM & 6:00 PM A quintet who cheerfully disregard every kind of one-dimensional label that might be attached to their music, Fireside Collective has been on a roll since emerging seven years ago from the fertile roots music scene of Asheville, North Carolina. In quick order, the progressive […]

Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen October 29, 2022 | 2:00 PM & 5:00 PM Multi-Grammy nominated Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen is a torrent of mind-blowing bluegrass. Known for their meaty pile-driving rhythms and Frank’s dynamic and bold vocals, the band’s last two albums have both received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. They […]

Charm City Junction October 28, 2022 | 5:30 PM From dance-inducing Old Time rhythms and foot-stomping Irish melodies to hard-driving Bluegrass, Baltimore-based acoustic roots quartet Charm City Junction creates a fresh soundscape that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats wondering where they’ll go next. The band is comprised of four of the most […]