As spring approaches, the excitement builds as folks of all ages make plans to gather at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida to continue a beloved festival tradition that features a range of music genres rooted in original music – Americana: Bluegrass, Newgrass, Folk, Singer/Songwriter, Blues, and more. Literally something for everyone! The gorgeous park with its mossy live oak laden grounds host the 3rd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion, taking place Thursday through Sunday, March 21-24, 2019!

A one-time home to the Olympics. Impeccable view of Lake Tahoe. Iconic tram rides to High Camp. A serene Sierra Nevada experience. The 5th annual WinterWonderGrass Tahoe festival will feature over 20 bluegrass and roots artists on three heated indoor stages and one outdoor main stage. Patrons can also expect to taste beers from 20+ local/regional craft breweries daily from 2-5pm. The festival returns to Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows on March 29-31, 2019 with headliners Greensky Bluegrass, Trampled by Turtles, Leftover Salmon and Sam Bush.

An appreciative audience packed the tiny Ojai Underground Exchange for an extraordinary concert Sunday, March 3rd. The small venue is a combination dance studio and performance hall that holds less than 100 people, and lies tucked away just off the main highway 150 that passes through the beautiful mountain enclave of Ojai, California. The show was another feather in the cap for local concert promoters Steve and Polly Hoganson from Ones To Watch Productions.

Bob Weir brought his newest project, The Wolf Brothers, to The Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on Wednesday night for an intimate and impressive performance that satisfied the theater full of his loyal fans. With a catalog as impressive and extensive as Weir’s, the band was able to curate a fantastic show full of songs spanning all of Weir’s career with The Grateful Dead as well as his side projects, solo work, and even some covers thrown in for good measure.

Sadly, I believe this is what most people think of when they think of jazz. A bunch of loud instruments trying to drive you mad through cacophony. This is unfortunate and the sentiment is misguided. Jazz, to me, is a concept about how music, especially “live” music, can be played. A concept that promotes a mostly unscripted, free flowing exchange of sounds and ideas. A formula that elevates originality over predictability. In other words, jazz is all about improvisation, spontaneity, and taking chances. Certainly, there are cases when the formula fails, but when the stars align, jazz can lead to most beautiful, meaningful, and redeeming music you will ever hear. It’s really an approach to music and spans a wide spectrum of the musical landscape, from bluegrass to rock n’ roll to the more textbook definition of jazz, including blues, bebop, and hardbop. Bands and artists – to name a few -that live or lived by this jazz ethos include Miles Davis, The Grateful Dead, John Coltrane, The Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Steve Kimock, and Phish.

Kiefer Sutherland is set to release his sophomore full-length album, Reckless & Me, worldwide on Friday, April 26 via BMG. The 10-track Reckless & Me delivers Sutherland’s Americana and country rock-infused songwriting style and highlights his gift of soulful storytelling. Pre-order is available now, here.