Category: Bluegrass

Sierra Hull and Highway 111 on a “Twang Tuesday”

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sierra hull - secrets album

Originally published Nov 2010 Revised and Updated July 2026


So a while ago I wrote about the great young fiddler Amanda Shaw. When the post was on No Depression one of the comments was that maybe she could team with equally young Sierra Hull, who plays mandolin to form a wunderkid band!

So never having heard of Sierra Hull I visited her website and one of the first things that stood out were these quotes”

“Sierra Hull is without doubt my favorite mandolin player!” – Adam Steffey – pretty high praise from a great mandolin player!

“Every so often, a talent comes along that makes us sit up and take notice. That time is now for Sierra Hull.” -SAM BUSH – again some greater praise from a great picker!

Award Nominations for Sierra Hull

Then I see that Sierra and her band Highway 111 were nominated for two IBMA awards in 2010 first for Emerging Artist Of the Year – Sierra & Highway 111 and then *Mandolin Player Of the Year – Sierra!

Finally, I see that her latest album and first national release Secrets was co-produced by Ron Block,(who’s worked with Alison Kraus and plays on the album along with Barry Bales, Dennis Crouch, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Clay Hess, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, Tony Rice, Dan Tyminski, Jim VanCleve, and the remarkably hard-driving seventeen-year-old banjo phenom Cory Walker, who has already played alongside Sierra for several years.

My Thoughts

So needless to say I quickly downloaded the album and have been listening to it for the last week or so and it is a great album. Sierra voice reminds me of a young Alison Kraus. It’s never over powering and fits perfectly with the music, which as expected is very very good.

While I like the whole album the two tracks that do keep catching my attention are the two instrumental tracks “Smashville” and “Hullarious” both dynamite tracks!

So check out the phenom from Byrdstown Tennessee. Oh by the way this young woman who started playing mandolin at eight she just finished high school this year and will be going to Berklee College of Music next year on a full scholarship!

2026 Update

Since this post was written in 2010 Sierra Hull has released four additional albums

  • Daybreak – 2010
  • Weighted Mind (2015)
  • 25 Trips (2020)
  • A Tip Toe High Wire (2025)

In addition she has won numerous awards and honors.

Hull has won ten International Bluegrass Music Association awards between 2010 and 2023, including winning best mandolin player in 6 out of the past 8 years (2016-2023).[13]

Hull received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, on October 19, 2013. The award is bestowed upon bluegrass artists who do an exemplary job of advancing traditional bluegrass music and bringing it to new audiences while preserving its character and heritage

The young woman has done really well – now if I had listened to my adivice I’d know those four albums listed abovr! Instead of needing to listen to them now!

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper Leavin’ Town on a “Twang Tuesday”

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Leavin' Town - Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Originally Posted Aug 2010 Revised and Updated July 2026

A Jazzy Beginning Leads To Some Bluesgrass Keepers

A Jazzfter listening to Blackberry Smoke I was doing some writing and needed to listen to something without words, so I put on some Wynton Kelly, piano. Kelly played a lot with Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery and is a fine jazz pianist. I listened to an album of about six songs all very good jazz! 

Then it was time for sone twang I had checked the Roots Music Report and found a couple of names I didn’t know and went to Rhapsody to listen.

Two Bluegrass Discoveries – Michael Cleveland and Frank Solivan


The two artist were Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper and Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen. Both albums were pure bluegrass and really good. I really didn’t listen that closely to all the tracks but the picking and vocals were both really good. Like Blackberry Smoke they both will be downloaded for some further listening.

The Michael Cleveland album that I listened to was Leavin’ Town and like I said I was impressed. When I came home I went to the band’s website and read that the song “Jerusalem Ridge,” won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2009 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year!

It was great to know that what impresses me also impresses others that know more about music then I do! Cleveland’s other albums have been award winners also Let’er Go Boys (2006)was voted Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association. Live at The Ragged Edge the 2004 release by Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland was also Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association as was Michael Cleveland’s Flamethrower.

About Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper band is composed of: Michael Cleveland on fiddle. As I said previously Michael has won all kinds of awards. In addition to the one’s listed above at the 2001 IBMA awards, Mike took his first Fiddle Player of the Year award, and shared the title of Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

In 2002 Mike rejoined The Dale Ann Bradley Band. That year he won the Fiddle Player of the Year award and again in 2004. And the list goes on and on.

  • Jesse Brock the 2009 IBMA Mandolin Performer of the Year is on mandolin,
  • Tom Adams , vocals and guitar,
  • Marshall Wilborn on bass and vocals and rounding out the band
  • Jesse Baker on banjo.

All in all an impressive lineup and deserving of their awards! So Check them Out! I know I’m going to listen some more to Leavin’ Town and then some of the other albums!

Artist’s Website
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YouTube
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The Video


Here’s Michael performing one of my favorite songs “Lee Highway Blues”

The Infamous Stringdusters – ThingsThat Fly – on a Twang Tuesday

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things That Flu The Infamous Stringdusters

Discovering A New Release from The Infamous Stringdusters

So today I made a brief list of some bluegrass to listen to and listened to some tracks by Josh Williams not bad but not thrilling. Then I listened to a track from the Tiger Maple String Band interesting but I just wasn’t really into the music. So I finally decided to move the the top of the chart and the number one album Things That Fly by The Infamous Stringdusters and I now know why the album is number one great picking, vocals and lyrics usually make a great album and this album has all three!

The album is their second following their successful 2007 debut album Fork in the Road,  The band won three awards at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Ceremony in 2007 including:

  • Emerging Artist of the Year,
  • Album of the Year for Fork in the Road (in a tie with J.D. Crowe & the New South’s album Lefty’s Old Guitar),
  • Song of the Year for the title track of the album.

Who are The Infamous Stringe Dusters

Currenty, the band calls Nashville, Tennessee their home is composed of: Andy Hall (Dobro), Andy Falco (guitar), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), and Travis Book (upright bass). Andy Falco is the newest member, filling the role vacated by guitarist Chris Eldridge (who is now touring with Chris Thile as a member of the Punch Brothers).

The members all have  a ton of experience ! Andy Hall has played with legends like Earl Scruggs and Dolly Parton, Andy Falco’s resume includes stints with the Greencards and Levon Helm. Chris Pandolfis background includes a stint with Drew Emmit, fiddler Garrett has played with Bobby Osborne, Jesse Cobb has played with Jim Lauderdale, and bassist Cook has shared the stage with Benny “Burle” Galloway.”

About Things That Fly

The album is solid through all thirteen of the tracks and Hall’s dobro, Garret’s fiddle and Cobb’s mandolin, (Oops Pandolfi’s banjo is good, too) certainly form the core of the band. A few of the tracks that caught my attention are. the opening track “You Can’t Stop the Changes”, the instrumental “Magic #9″ (big surprise there),”Those Who’ve Gone On” (probably my favorite track), “It’ll Be All Right”, “17 cents” (oops again I forgot this one maybe this is the favorite) and the closing instrumental “The Deputy”.

The band allows taping at their shows and you can follow a link at the bottom of their webpage to some free music. So check them out! I know I’m headed over there to give a show or two a listen!

Links for Further Explorations

Here’s “In God’s Country” from the album;

and here’s “Fork in the Road”