Over the years, blues-rock artist, Linwood Taylor, has forged ahead nailing down gigs, improving his game and building a reputation as an A-list musician in the Washington, D.C. area with a deep music history rarely fully appreciated.
Valeria Stewart has been making waves in the venues around the Washington, D.C. music scene for years developing an enviable musical footprint with her well-crafted accessible music. And most recently, her 2025 release, Raices | Roots, (Antidote Sounds) has hit the #2 spot on the Roots Music Report (RMR) World Album chart.
The Bryds were fronted by Roger McGuinn on vocals and his chimey 12-string Rickenbacker. The group laid down the gauntlet with a string of singles with McGuinn’s signature “jingle jangle” guitar work shining through with strong melodic undercurrents.
A self-taught musician with a strong reverence for guitar masters, Ben Gallaher’s songs radiate a passion for the lyric-driven country music that influenced him as a young boy listening to his parents’ radio in smalltown Pennsylvania. The triple-threat singer, songwriter and guitarist recently released a must-hear cover of Bryan Adams’ 1983 smash hit “Cuts Like a Knife,” on which he plays every guitar part, including the song’s iconic solo.
In the early 1980’s Roy Rogers spent several years touring with John Lee Hooker before going out on his own with The Delta Rhythm Kings in 1986. Since that time Roy has stayed busy, not only as a performer, songwriter, and recording and guest artist, but, also as a producer of recordings by John Lee Hooker and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. Roy has been nominated for two Grammy Awards and three W.C. Handy Awards. He still tours the world with The Delta Rhythm Kings, alongside bandmates Steve Ehrmann [bass] and Billy Lee Lewis [drums].
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.
Dave Kline, four strings, plucking and a blistering bow; electrified. These are the ingredients that Kline brings to the stage and into the studio. Pull in some more world-class musicians and they stir a cauldron of some of the best music you’ll ever hear.
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).
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.
You’ve got to hand it to Ben Brookes Belcher, the man works hard rolling out some of the coolest country songs we’ve heard in a long time. Belcher nails down some fancy guitar licks while singing a mix of gritty hard tack down home spins to some of the sweetest heart wrenching ballads.
