“Jeff Austin blew the crowd away with his standout, electro-driven bluegrass… Austin and his bandmates have reinvented Americana music in a way that moves the genre forward.” —jambase.com

Welcomed by the Sugar Maple Music Festival, the Jeff Austin Band will play the High Noon Saloon on Sunday, March 26.  Tickets on sale here.

The career of the Colorado-based artist has already seen him break through jam and bluegrass scenes, play stages from The Fillmore Auditorium to Red Rocks Amphitheater, and outdoor events like Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, among many others. But with the launch of his solo career in 2014, Austin is now building on the foundations of previous ventures while honing his own sound and charting new courses.

“I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve played with,” says Austin who has shared stages with such luminaries as Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Earle Scruggs, Jon Fishman, and Phil Lesh. And it’s artists such as these who have helped crystalize Austin’s idea of what he wants to do as he moves forward with his eponymous project. “From both the rock side and the bluegrass side,” he explains, “I’ve learned a lot about song structure, solo ideas, playing with guts, and being who you are.”

Sugar Maple Music Festival welcomes Cajun Country Revival with Foghorn Stringband to the High Noon Saloon Tuesday, March 7.

Spanning generations from across the nation the Cajun Country Revival is a veritable supergroup of American roots musicians. Comprised of Cajun musicians Jesse Lége and Joel Savoy and Portland Oregon’s Foghorn Stringband, this group presents a music that seems to embody all of the things that make life wonderful and together they’ve delighted audiences around the world celebrating rather than “performing” the music that brought them together: Cajun music and early Country music.

Son of Cajun music royalty Marc and Ann and the founder of the Louisiana-based label Valcour Records, Joel Savoy is a GRAMMY winner for his production work with The Band Courtbouillon and a nine-time GRAMMY nominee, as well as a two-time winner of the Cajun French Music Association’s Fiddler of the Year Award. Having grown up literally at the feet of the Cajun great he represents his culture with an authority that few people his age can and his playing leaves no doubt that Cajun music is still very much alive. He has worked and played with the best of the best in south Louisiana as well as folks like John Fogerty, Linda Ronstadt, Steve Earle, and T-Bone Burnett.

Sharing the stage with Joel for the last 15 years is the legendary Cajun powerhouse, Jesse Lége. Growing up in a rural pre-electricity home in Gueydan, LA, Jesse spoke Cajun French and learned music from relatives, neighbors, and the family’s much-loved battery-powered radio. Today he is one of the most admired Cajun accordionists and vocalists in the world, known especially for his high, clear, “crying” vocals. Jesse has been playing traditional Cajun music and singing Cajun French songs for over 35 years performing with a variety of well-known musicians in various Louisiana and southeast Texas dancehalls. He is a winner of numerous CFMA awards: Traditional Band of the Year, Accordion Player of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Band of the Year, and Song of the Year. In 1998 he was inducted into the Cajun Music Hall of Fame.

Completing the revival is Portland Oregon’s Foghorn Stringband, made up of Caleb Klauder (WA) and Stephen “Sammy” Lind (MN) and Reeb Willms (WA) and Nadine Landry (Québec). Credited for igniting the Old Time Renaissance in Northwest, the Foghorn Stringband continues to stand out as the shining gold standard for American Stringband music. With their 8th album, Devil in the Seat in hand, thousands of shows and over a decade of touring under their belts, it’s no surprise that this band, as proclaimed by Stuart Mason, The Fiddle Freak, “has blossomed into a full-blown force of nature that threatens world domination.” Through all of this, they’ve never let the music grow cold; instead Foghorn has been steadily proving that American Roots music is a never-ending well of inspiration.

Tickets on sale here.

Sugar Maple Music Festival welcomes Son Volt to the Majestic Thursday, March 30 in support of Notes of Blue.

The 10 songs on Notes of Blue are inspired by the spirit of the blues, but not the standard blues as most know it. The unique and haunting tunings of Mississippi Fred McDowell, Skip James and Nick Drake were all points of exploration for Farrar for the new collection. The album opens with the country soul of “Promise The World”, followed by “Back Against The Wall”, a song that could stand alongside the great Son Volt songs of their early albums. However, Notes Of Blue reflects the blues as it resides in the folk tradition, but heavily amplified. The primal stomp of “Cherokee St”, the frenetic guitar on “Static” and the raw slide in “Sinking Down” exude grit and attitude. Conversely, tracks such as “The Storm” and “Cairo and Southern” seamlessly meld blues with hypnotic melodies that add a unique balance to Notes of Blue.

Tickets available here.

Looking for a family-friendly way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Come to the Barrymore Theatre at 1 p.m., February 12th, for the 16th Annual United Way Bluegrass Benefit. Six bands and performers are volunteering their time and talents with all proceeds going to United Way of Dane County. Longtime United Way advocate Dave Kinney has organized this concert since its inception.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to bring your entire family to a fun and entertaining event while giving back to our community,” said Kinney. “I’m proud of the positive change United Way brings to our community and I love that I can contribute to that change with this concert.”

Over the last 16 years, this annual concert has grown in popularity among bluegrass fans and families who are looking for kid-friendly activities. Thank you to Barrymore Theatre, Steve Gotcher (Audio for the Arts), WORT 89.9 FM and Isthmus for their partnership.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 – 12. Children 5 and under are free. For families, there is a maximum cost of $20. Tickets are available at the door and online.

Program of Performers

Cork ‘n Bottle String Band 1:00 p.m.

Sparetime Bluegrass 2:00 p.m.

Dave Landau – The King of Kids Music 2:30 p.m.

MadFiddle & Highway 151 3:00 p.m.

The Soggy Prairie Boys 4:20 p.m.

Old Tin Can String Band 5:00 p.m.

The Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective is proud to sponsor and take part in, The 2nd Annual Spring String Gathering!

Hosted at the Clarion Convention Center in Baraboo, WI, The fest will feature impromptu jamming, showcases and workshops, and will coincide with an evening concert at the historic Al Ringling Theater.

The String Gathering is an indoor, Bluegrass and Old-time music jam-festival, in Baraboo, WI. The fest provides an opportunity for Bluegrass and Old-Time musicians all across Wisconsin, it’s bordering states and beyond, to come together and celebrate their common love of music, and shake off the long Midwestern winter.

For 2014, the host bands are Art Stevenson & High Water (bluegrass) and White Mule (old-time). Both bands will be leading workshops at the hotel, as well as jamming throughout the night. They will also be performing a special concert Saturday night at the Al Ringling Theater, in downtown Baraboo.

New in 2014, the Gathering doubles down! They’ve added a day to the fest… twice the jams; twice the fun. And there will be an old-time contra dance Friday night, featuring host band, White Mule (and very likely Chirps Smith), with caller Dot Kent. All are welcome at the dance; you don’t need a partner or experience. Just show up ready to have fun.

For more information, see their website at www.stringgathering.org