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Jim
& Jennie met in 1998 in the wilds of Pennsylvania. Jennie
Benford grew up in a bluegrass-lovin' family, full of Stanley
Brothers, Bill Monroe and the like, but spent her teen years
trying to figure out the meaning of the cover of Zeppelin's
"Houses of the Holy." Jim Krewson spent his formative
years immersed in hardcore punk and experimental rock, not flipping
for the 'grass until he heard his dad's Flatt & Scruggs
Mercury recordings. After meeting up with banjo-prodigy Brad,
they set out to fulfill their ambition of winning over both
the bluegrass crowd and a broader audience that wasn't necessarily
familiar with it.
Since then, they have released two studio albums, a live, tour-only
CD, toured the world, contributed backing skills to Neko Case's
recent live CD, and made good on their promise to rocket bluegrass
into the 21st century. They remain respectful of the traditions
of the genre, but are not constrained by them. The band is now
based out of North Carolina and upstate New York and are wildly
regarded as unfailingly nice folks, so don't be afraid to have
them stay over when they come to your town.
"[They] should be lifted above the narrow-thinking traditionalists
and placed alongside their more progressive contemporaries,
such as Gillian Welch, or the Crooked Jades (with whom Benford
sometimes tours). – Brian Barr Harp |
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River
Rolls On By
Bloodshot Records
2005 |
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