Special friend to the mandolin, Sugar Hill Records celebrates 25 years of quality music. Started in 1978 by Barry Ross as an spin-off of country music, Ross's aim was presenting younger artists that could perform older music but infuse a contemporary kick. From a Steve Horowitz article, "Sugar Hill's early recordings possessed an aural purity that met people's hunger for authenticity and also seemed fresh and new. There was something honest about the sounds of the banjo, dobro, fiddle, and mandolin, and the way they mixed together. The picking was clean and crisp. Each instrument was easily identified."

We've enjoyed many of Sugar Hill's recent releases, including recordings by Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek, Tim O'brien, Jerry Douglas, Psychograss, Sam Bush, Hot Rize, The Duhks, Mike Marshall, and Chris Thile. The laundry list of Sugar Hill artists is long and thorough.

Read Pop Matters article.

Sugar Hill Website (free previews!)

JazzMando Reviews: The Duhks, Mike Marshall & Chris Thile, Chris Thile.

Posted by Ted at October 3, 2006 5:43 AM