The Steep Canyon Rangers

See them if you can. They are lots of fun live. Sometimes, Steve Martin (yeah, THAT Steve Martin) plays with them. We were at Merlefest this past weekend, and they closed down the festival.

Walter, I thought the name sounded familiar! What most surprised me was that although they look relatively young, they play the music with a sense of authority, like they’ve been doing it forever. A lot of the Americana bands sound like they were raised on Rock, only discovering bluegrass/hillbilly/etc. fairly recently. "Real" Bluegrass musician’s start playing at a young age (in some "rural" families, everybody plays and sings), and by the time they are in their teens are real good players and singers. Marty Stuart was hired by Lester Flatt when he was 14 years old!

@bdp24 

Yes, you are spot on. If you ever get a chance to go to Merlefest--Steep Canyon plays it about every year--you will see a bunch of kids who are already unbelievable musicians because they had guitars, banjos, or fiddles put in their hands as soon as they were old enough to hold them. Where I live (in Appalachia, and you better know how to pronounce it :)), there are scores of bluegrass family bands. Some make it big, while others go no further than playing summer barbecues, church socials, and county fairs, though they may be just as talented. It is most definitely part of the culture, just as you say. A lot of kids here grow up hearing it and playing it. Not all of them become Alison Krauss or Steep Canyon Rangers, but some do.

If you ever get a chance, check out my neighbors, Balsam Range. Their music is right there with the Steep Canyon Boys, and Buddy Melton is as good a tenor as you'll hear anywhere. Great recordings, too.

Just a little taste of Balsam Range:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAsmkI0A6o0

@bdp24 if you lived here you’d be home by now: [url]https://thevinylpress.com/steep-canyon-rangers-open/[/url].