Last week Denver bluegrass fans were smitten by the presence of a seven-piece bluegrass super-group of some of our favorite musicians for a two night run at the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. Adam Aijala and Ben Kaufmann from Yonder Mountain String Band, Drew Emmitt and Andy Thorn from Leftover Salmon, Bridget Law and Bonnie Paine from Elephant Revival, and guitarist Larry Keel all shared the stage for a first tier, foot stomping picking party. Gipsy Moon opened on Friday night, bringing their soulful, eclectic sound to an upbeat collaboration.

Last Friday at The Fillmore in San Francisco, I felt right at home. As a Colorado native who moved to the Bay Area just three months ago it’s been an incredible transition and vast discovery process with the amount of incredible local and national musical talent that plays here constantly. Last Friday was humbling on multiple levels. It was the debut Fillmore performance of my favorite improvisational funk band The Motet.

So many years after the disbandment of Grateful Dead that in turn relocated tens of thousands of devoted tour followers to various other acts and bigger life purposes, folks still crave that familiar feeling that kept them on tour. It didn’t only come from the music that Garcia and the gang connected with so many people through, but the sense of community and thriving weirdness that expanded continuously over decades of different intersections.

Jeff Austin & The Here and Now (featuring banjoist Danny Barnes and Larry & Jenny Keel) are thrilled to announce the audio release of a soundboard recording of last August’s show at The Elk's Lodge in Troy, OH as part of the Gentleman of the Road Festival. The download is available for FREE at www.JeffAustin.com.Check out Jeff's recap of the show:Late in the evening of August 30th, 2013… or, was it early in the morning of August 31st?

Mandolinist, vocalist and songwriter Jeff Austin is joining forces with The Here and Now, featuring banjoist Danny Barnes and Larry & Jenny Keel on guitar and bass for several shows in the MidWest in early March 2014.The tour kicks off at the Cabooze in Minneapolis, before heading over to Milwaukee to the Miramar and then along to Chicago’s City Winery.

Mandolinist, vocalist and songwriter Jeff Austin is unstoppable. He is celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation on stage, but those qualities also speak volumes about how he chooses to live. Austin has cultivated his natural musical abilities and allowed himself to be driven by his boldest instincts. In this way, he has been able to build positive, exciting momentum around his life’s greatest passion.

The time has finally arrived after surviving the many long months of winter, finally, festival season. “I grabbed my sleeping bag from behind the couch and headed out the door on a path that’s free to walk”. It’s time to celebrate the life and music of one the greatest writers of the 20th century, time for the John Hartford Memorial Festival, year III.

Preparations are underway for the 3rd Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival being held in the hills of southern Indiana at the Official Bean Blossom & Bill Monroe Music Park in beautiful Brown County, May 30–June 1. This is the third of what the festival’s creator, John Hotze, and co-promoter, Dan Dillman, hope to see as an event to preserve the legacy and music of the late John Hartford, one of America’s most beloved songwriter/performers and musicians.

Out of the resurging Bluegrass Music movement one of the most seasoned vets around is Jeff Austin. The mandolin-man of Yonder Mountain String Band built his following beside his band-mates based upon a loyal fanbase and always keeping it interesting for them. Yonder lives for their fans, and have made their mark in the community.