The Oregon Mandolin Orchestra is launching its 10th season with a Spring Celebration Concert in downtown Portland, featuring a guest performance by the internationally renowned Wiesenekker-Lysov Trio. The concert program, crafted by the orchestra’s music director, Christian McKee, will explore a musical sampler ranging from folk and samba to a Vivaldi concerto and a contemporary Japanese piece wistfully looking at the changing seasons. The orchestra also will perform “Turvy,” an original piece composed by McKee. The Wiesenekker-Lysov Trio's repertoire draws…

“So many contemporary bluegrass and folk outfits that get big have a cloying sweetness to them, or a cynical predisposition towards a radio-friendly pop sensibility. Not so with Honeysuckle. Their sound is unpretentious and unabashed, as if each song is meant for one set of ears only. They don’t shy away from moments that are as technical as they are mesmerizing, and here their musicianship really shines through. Trampled By Turtles is about to be stomped by a flower y’all.” –…

The critically acclaimed progressive string band Nefesh Mountain ingeniously blends Bluegrass and Old-Time musical stylings with cultural influences from their own Jewish heritage, reimagining a world of American roots music that is all their own. Leaders and husband and wife team Eric Lindberg and Doni Zasloff are at the heart of the band, pioneering this new genre alongside band members Alan Grubner, Dave Goldenberg, and Max Johnson. Their music, called “Highly eclectic” by Rolling Stone, and “Crisp, refined, timeless Bluegrass”…

From her tenure playing with The Claire Lynch Band, Eddie Adcock, Josh Graves, Jim Hurst, Kenny Baker, and Jesse McReynolds to her 7 International Bluegrass Music Association Bass Player of the Year awards, Missy Raines has proven herself without doubt as an iconic bluegrass instrumentalist. But with her newest release, Royal Traveller, Raines has stepped into the spotlight as a songwriter for the first time. The album digs deep into Raines’ family life and her upbringing in West Virginia. Featuring…

The award winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord is a leading force in Quebec’s progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing it’s hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences. Featuring button accordion, guitar and fiddle, the band’s sound is defined by the hurdy-gurdy, which adds an earthy, rough-hewn flavor to even the most buoyant dance tunes. — Boston…