Bridging The Tradition by Lonesome River Band

Article Contributed by Hope River Ent… | Published on Friday, March 18, 2016

Lonesome River Band will kick off today's new album release, Bridging the Tradition (Mountain Home Music) with three special performances this weekend.

Tonight, March 18, the band continues the tradition of debuting their new albums at the world famous Station Inn in Nashville. On Saturday, March 19, Mountain Home Music Company will host a release celebration and concert at the Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in Asheville, N.C.  On Sunday, March 20, Lonesome River Band will perform at The Barn at Chantilly Farm in Floyd, VA.

Virginia Country Music Hall of Famer and 5-Time IBMA Banjo Performer of the Year, Sammy Shelor leads the group that is constantly breaking new ground in Acoustic music. With two stellar lead vocalists, Brandon Rickman (guitar) and newest member Jesse Smathers (mandolin), accentuated by the impressive talents of Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) and Barry Reed (bass), the band seamlessly comes together, performing the trademark sound that fans continue to embrace.

Lonesome River Band had been established for nearly a decade when the band released its landmark album, Carrying the Tradition, in 1991. The critically acclaimed project ushered in a new era for Bluegrass by acknowledging tradition while introducing new elements that expanded the genre. Now, 25 years later, this award-winning band is again set to build on the familiar while adding bold progressiveness to its legend with this latest release, Bridging the Tradition.

"This album is different than anything we've ever done," says Sammy Shelor. "The songs are ones that we are really personally interested in doing. What we came up with has once again helped to recreate our sound. All the while, we are being true to ourselves as musicians."

Lonesome River Band continues to evolve in the ever-changing landscape of Bluegrass and Acoustic Country music. With Bridging the Tradition, the band once again delivers incredible, ground-breaking music that is rooted in the tradition it began decades ago.

For more information on Lonesome River Band, please visit lonesomeriverband.com and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.