James is deeply involved in the bluegrass and old-time music community. He has made several old-time and bluegrass recordings with such noted artists as Tom Paley and Walter Hensley.  His original songs are important additions to the bluegrass repertoire and his guitar playing was highlighted in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine’s Masters of Rhythm Guitar column. In addition to leading James Reams & The Barnstormers, he is the organizer of the Park Slope Bluegrass/Old-Time Jamboree, an annual music festival he started in 1998 that attracts 700+ musicians and fans of traditional music to its workshops, jamming and concerts. It’s the only event of its kind in or around New York City and was nominated as IBMA Event of the Year in 2014.

vintageacoustic.cc

The Grascals make music that is entirely relevant to the here and now yet immersed in traditional values of soul and musicianship. It’s a unique sound that has earned three Grammy® nominations and two Entertainer of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as national media attention that seems to perpetually elude acts entrenched in niche genres. Such appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Fox & Friends, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and CBS’ The Talk. Honors also include performing twice for President George W. Bush and at President Barack Obama’s inaugural ball at the Smithsonian. 

The Grascals have over 200 guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry to their credit and have also performed on the revered stages of Radio City Music Hall, the Ryman Auditorium and the Kennedy Center as well as music festivals such as MerleFest, Stagecoach, and the CMA Music Festival. In addition to performing across the United States and Canada, the awarding-winning band has traveled the world to take bluegrass music to Japan, Greece, France, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Belgium. 

The Grascals have also had the opportunity to record and share the stage with several country music legends including Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Hank Williams, Jr., George Jones, Kenny Rogers, Brooks & Dunn, Patty Loveless, The Oak Ridge Boys, Steve Wariner, Tom T. Hall, The Jordanaires, and more. 

As their recordings prove, The Grascals’ rare musical empathy gives them an unerring ear for just the right touch to illuminate each offering’s deepest spirit – whether they’re digging into one of their original songs or reworking a bluegrass classic or a pop standard. Take for instance, fan favorite, “Last Train to Clarksville.” Non-bluegrass listeners enjoy a new take on a familiar song, while diehard bluegrass audiences who may have never heard the Monkees classic, respond in-kind, not even realizing that the song has been Grascalized. 

As they look toward their 20th anniversary, The Grascals can truthfully say they have the best of both worlds — the steadiness of a veteran group that knows who they are and where they’re going, and the excitement and energy of an ensemble that knows it still has something to prove. With a renewed spirit and zeal to continue create and blazing new music trails, be on the lookout for much more to come from The Grascals!

grascals.com

Strawberry Ridge, located in Central PA. A tight bond of musicians sharing bluegrass, folk, and bluegrass.

www.facebook.com/StrawberryRidge/

Since its formation decades ago, Lonesome River Band continues its reputation as one of the most respected names in bluegrass music. Five-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Banjo Player of the Year, and winner of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, Sammy Shelor leads the group that is constantly breaking new ground in acoustic music. With two stellar lead vocalists, Jesse Smathers (guitar) and Adam Miller (mandolin), and the impressive talents of Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) and Kameron Keller (bass), the band seamlessly comes together, performing the trademark sound that fans continue to embrace.

lonesomeriverband.com

This band of friends have been playing together casually for more than a decade. At the request of some fans, they decided to start performing together at some of their favorite bluegrass festivals. Get ready for this unit to bring you hard-driving bluegrass cultivated from a blend of original, traditional and contemporary material.

facebook.com/TheGrillbillieProject/

Matt Turk and C Lanzbom joined forces to form Deadgrass, a string band adventure through Jerry Garcia’s musical world. Bassist Dave Richards, banjo player Boo Reiners and fiddler Jeremy Brown complete this fine group of seasoned pros exploring the life works of Jerry Garcia on the instruments that first inspired him. Deadgrass celebrates and interprets the music of Jerry Garcia, drawing from Old & in the Way, JGB, Jerry’s Jug Band days and the Grateful Dead.

A seasoned recording artist and multi-instrumentalist, Matt Turk is a veteran performer who has performed and recorded with Pete Seeger, opened for Judy Collins, The Doobie Brothers, Fiona Apple and the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart. He has performed at the Clearwater Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Atlanta's Music Midtown, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Beacon Theatre. Matt has recorded for Warner Bros Records with Gaby Moreno & Matter Music.

Grammy award winner C Lanzbom is a touring and studio guitarist with producing, performing, writing and engineering credits with Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Crystal Bowersox, Shlomo Carlebach and Soulfarm. C's studio, Sherwood Ridge, is a state of the art recording facility just north of New York City. C has numerous television and film song placements.

Bassist Dave Richards performs in Hamilton on Broadway and has recorded and performed with The Indigo Girls, Rosanne Cash, Buster Poindexter, Madeline Peyroux, Jewel and Richie Havens. He has toured throughout Europe, Canada and the USA, appearing at Ottawa Jazz, Toronto Blues festival, The Hollywood Bowl and Austin City Limits. At the age of 17 Dave was playing jazz five nights a week in Orlando, Florida with Billy Peebles, the drummer for Ray Charles on many classic Atlantic recordings.

Banjo player Boo Reiners is a multi-instrumentalist who has performed, recorded, filmed and toured with Dispatch, Phil Lesh, Al Kooper, Pete Seeger, Charlie Louvin, Steve Martin, Tony Trischka, Michael Moore, Amy Poehler, Natalie Merchant, Martin Sexton, and many others. In the studio and on tour with world music pioneers The Klezmatics, he helped the group to win their 2007 Grammy Award for "Wonder Wheel: Lyrics By Woody Guthrie.”

Jazz violinist Kensuke Shoji was born in Gifu, Japan. He joined his father's bluegrass band as a teenager. As a young adult he moved to the U.S.A. to study jazz violin with Berklee String Department chair Matt Glaser, and world renowned violinist Christian Howes. Dedicated to improvisation, Kensuke moved to New York City in 2013 to play with Alex Hargreaves, Barry Harris, Jacob Jolliff, Maria Muldaur and more.

deadgrassband.com

Artist Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional and newgrass music, this North Carolina based quintet brings a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving and sincere. Their 2020-21 singles have all charted in the Bluegrass Today top 20 including “California” #1 “Irons in the Fire” #2 and “Carolina and Tennessee” #4. Their 2019 release from Mountain Home Music Company, “Myths We Tell Our Young”, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and has seen 5 top-charting radio singles, including a #1 spot on the Bluegrass Today chart for “Dark Side of the Mountain.”

Their material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina where they call home. The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists. Their debut recording, Simple Little Town (2013) saw quick success in radio and with tastemakers. Their follow-up release, Miles Between was featured on the nationally syndicated NPR show The World Cafe. Represented by Advance Artist Support t, Unspoken Tradition plays nationwide.

www.unspokentradition.com

Danny Paisley and The Southern Grass continue to be deeply rooted in tradition but look to the future with enthusiasm and anticipation. They play powerful, unadorned, and intense traditional bluegrass. There is no hybrid or genre-bending music here. Their combination of instrumentation and vocals convey the energy and emotion of classic bluegrass and country music. Danny’s lead vocals will captivate your senses, so much so that many prominent musicians, including Alison Krauss, have considered Danny as one of their favorite singers. His voice combines powerful range and soulful blues with a sound like no one else in bluegrass today.

dannypaisley.com

Hailing from the beautiful Mountain State of West Virginia, The Hillbilly Biscuits (formally known as Hillbilly Gypsies) have been making and performing their own brand of old time bluegrass and original mountain music for over a decade! Formed in 2001 from a chance meeting at the now infamous Wednesday night old time jam in Morgantown, WV; The Hillbilly Biscuits have been pickin' n’ grinnin' and entertaining their loyal fans ever since.

thehillbillygypsies.com

The Joe Cirotti Quarter is a well-oiled string band from the shadows of Northwest Jersey’s Appalachian ridge. In 2015, Joe Cirotti, Mike Alexander, and Pete Lister’s respective multi instrumentalist upbringings fused with a collective passion for the roots of American folk, country, and bluegrass music. In this way the trio’s bond is rooted in proximity, strengthened by a blue-collar passion for picking, and buoyed by their shared propensity for cigarettes and whiskey.

The Joe Cirotti Trio

Smokey Greene is a true pioneer in country music born in 1930. No matter who you are, there will be at least one song that he sings that will touch you. He entertains with the deft touch of a magician and can deliver the message in a song like no other. Be it funny or sad, his choice of material is truly unique. At around the age of 13, he learned to play his first instrument, the tenor banjo. By age 16 he had added the guitar, mandolin, and fiddle to his skills. That same year he made his first professional appearance with his longtime mentor, yodeling Slim Clark.

The first Bluegrass Festival held in New York State was Smokey Greene's, held in Corinth, New York in 1972. In 2018, at the age of 88, Smokey who started his "final tour" in 2015 is still performing mostly in VT & NY, with his sons Arlin and Scott, as "Smokey Greene and the Greene brothers". Now in 2023 at the age of 93, he is doing his annual “final tour” with a stop at the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival where he has many friends.

Serene Green is a traditional bluegrass band featuring Pennsylvania natives Quentin Fisher, Michael Johnson, Steve Leonard and Shane McGeehan. As of May 2021, the band has been touring with the addition of Maryland-born fiddle player, Katelynn Casper. Serene Green's desire is to honor the traditions set forth by the pioneers of bluegrass, while also highlighting its original compositions and individual style. Since the band's inception in 2017, Serene Green has toured in over twenty of the United States, performing at festivals and venues alongside many nationally- and internationally touring acts. The band has toured extensively throughout the United States, sharing stages with many nationally- and internationally touring bands and artists, including The Del McCoury Band, The Seldom Scene, The Infamous Stringdusters, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, David Bromberg, Dan Tyminski Band, Sideline, Railroad Earth, and Cabinet, among many others. The band has become an instant favorite at numerous music festivals, winning over audiences at DelFest, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, The Peach Music Festival, NEPA Bluegrass Festival, Musikfest, Watermelon Pickers' Festival, Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival, and Podunk Bluegrass Festival where the band was voted winner of the band competition in 2022.

serenegreenbluegrass.com

Formed in 2012 after returning from a bluegrass festival, Dark City Strings is a band that draws from a broad spectrum of influences to deliver a high energy creative mix of bluegrass, Americana, and folk, along with contemporary covers that are guaranteed to keep people moving. They released their debut album, Fast, True & Free in 2014. Their sophmore album, Stars Above & Depths Below, is available now on iTunes & Spotify.  

Mandolin, Vocals / Michael Byrnes

Guitar, Vocals / Eric Daneman

Banjo / Andrew Duch

Fiddle, Vocals / Evan Fitzgerald

Bass / Joe Lucarelli

serenegreenbluegrass.com

This band of friends have been playing together casually for more than a decade. At the request of some fans, they decided to start performing together at some of their favorite bluegrass festivals. Get ready for this unit to bring you hard-driving bluegrass cultivated from a blend of original, traditional and contemporary material.

facebook.com/TheGrillbillieProject/

Insert band bio

Dead Horse Revival | Harrisburg PA | Facebook