An unlikely collaboration between two roots music legends needed a proper introduction. Multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and vocalist Sam Bush is second only to John Hartford the most influential player in creating the style of newgrass music. A progressive take on bluegrass that fused elements of rock, psychedelia, and reggae was developed in the late 1960s and became incredibly influential on generations of successors to come.

North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers have been picking quality bluegrass since their formation in the early 2000s, but it took a little while for their well-deserved recognition and success to begin snowballing.

The daunting task of interpreting the music of Frank Zappa has made the iconized jazz-fusion composer/musician less often a cover project than one might expect.

The contemporary musical universe of Mickey Hart is perfectly aligned with the cosmos. Never has his theological approach to music or pursuit of combining music sensibilities across the globe been so relevant. From the beginnings he sought out further bounds than his primary project, the American rock institution, The Grateful Dead.

Sometime last Saturday night it dawned on me why the guys from the Infamous Stringdusters are doing so well for themselves; their charm and charisma comes through without toting a hometown identity. When the Dusters play in Nashville or Telluride, or Eugene, they make the crowd feel like their hometown crowd.

The issue with calling any band a "jam band" is that you force them into an extreme marginalization that could come along with a stigma. The category "jam band" could encompass everything from Little Feat, The Disco Biscuits, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Phish, or MMW.

Many people love the holidays for different reasons. Christmas means family, friends, giving and receiving. Here in Colorado its usually around when our skiing gets pretty good and things tend to quiet down as students are off of classes and folks get a few days away from their jobs to spend time with those who matter. For many, the best time about the Holidays in New Years Eve. No matter what your up to, it needs to be exceptional. In Colorado, New Years usually means great music.

It really has been quite a journey for Colorado’s String Cheese Incident. There are small and humble beginnings for these fellas who have now gone on to influence a solid generation of bluegrass-fusion bands. Michael Kang, Bill Nershi, Michael Travis, and Keith Moseley talk about how in the beginning they would play unplugged next to the ski lifts at Telluride and Crested Butte, Colorado, hoping to score a free lift ticket and gain some local clout.

A New Year’s Eve Party is much like the Super Bowl. A highly anticipated hyped event that rarely lives up to preceding tension. The event must live up to the crowds expectations and tote a larger than expected production. If you don’t end up there, or if game time doesn’t deliver the goods, disappointment is naturally amidst. Luckily us Coloradan’s here on the Front Range we have a super rare opportunity to end our year with; the chance to spend three nights with an iconic Colorado musical entity.

The music of Frank Zappa could be considered the most important compositional contributions to American popular music in the 20^th century. Many might find this claim blasphemous. What about Miles Davis? John Coltrane? Bing Crosby? The list could go on. Zappa's music blended important elements of orchestral and jazz music while serving as a working parody of music and popular culture.