More than a little musical magic erupted at Northern Virginia’s Reston Coffee House steps away from the waters of Lake Anne, with the Ken Avis-Dave Kline Duo performing several sets of originals and cover tunes sparked by Ken’s stylish guitar work and Dave’s spins with his formidable violin action.
True grit, in the name of Jack Elliott (born Elliott Charles Adnopoz; August 1, 1931, Brooklyn, New York) was on the road when he was fifteen years old to become…a cowboy. The son of a surgeon, Abraham Adnopoz, and school teacher, Florence “Flossie” (Rieger) Adnopoz, his Wild West dream was inspired by “The Singing Cowboy” Gene Autry and his remarkable horse, (Touring) Champion, when Gene’s rodeo showed up at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
When Nashville artist Levi Foster flew to Los Angeles carrying a 1966 Martin guitar and a stack of restless songs that didn’t quite fit Nashville’s modern mold, he wasn’t chasing polish, he was chasing freedom.
Today, Steve Earle has earned his own icon status, not only by writing his own songs and performing to thousands, but by deep digging into the entangled roots of more contemporary music, studying the wherefore and why of musical traditions of songs and styles beyond American shores. Like the generation before him, his own journey is part of both a land mass of musical traditions, and a migration of his own songs for future generations.
Country and metal music have been flirting for years, but Kentucky hybrid Devil’s Cut just hits differently. On their hugely cathartic and relatable 2026 debut album, ROADKILL, the Louisville band harnesses anthemic metalcore to authentic country imagery and melody to massive effect.
While Ben Gallaher is a triple-threat singer, songwriter and guitarist, this exciting instrumental track showcases his virtuosic musicianship on acoustic guitar. Completely reinventing the popular holiday tune “Carol of the Bells” – written in 1914 by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych – “Carol of the Strings” was arranged, performed and produced solely by Gallaher.
While there is no lack of great songs that honor love, acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarist Cris Jacobs offers a heartfelt and unique perspective on marriage and committed relationships on his lively new track “Lifetime To Go,” featuring Lee Ann Womack. The song appears on his first album in five years, One Of These Days
When country music artist Vince Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007, one only had to look back on a few of his accomplishments to recognize his impact on the musical style.
The ironclad heft of Furnace Mountain’s talent shows up shining on every track of their release, Shadow of Plenty. The quartet of masterful musician’s hail from Loudoun County, Virginia’s Piedmont area where iron ore was extracted and formed into muskets, wagon wheels and more, all part of the Industrial Revolution.
Shenandoah Run is the brainchild of Bob Melissinos who founded the group decades ago. Over the years members of the group have come and gone, and come back again. Today, the group includes: Bob who plays guitar; Jill Nelson (mandolin), John Werntz (bass); Joe Dickey (banjo), Leslie Smile Hoyle (violin), Jim Johnson (guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo), Ben Hamblin (guitar), and Renee Moyer (percussion).
