VIDEO: Watch The Hillbenders, up close and personal

I first heard The Hillbenders at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival a couple of summers ago. The 5-piece band from Springfield, Missouri, was practicing in the woods. Reflected off Catskill Creek, their sound was a refreshing blend of original music and progressive bluegrass. They unabashedly took pop classics and made them their own. I caught them at a showcase in a suite at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, during the annual IBMA conference.

VIDEOS: Jake Armerding brings world-class music to Weymouth's Sanctuary Hall this Saturday

Jake Armerding, a Massachusetts singer-songwriter, fiddler, guitarist and more, will join his brother Jesse, and his father, legendary New England bluegrass phenom Taylor Armerding for a show at 8 p.m. Saturday in Weymouth’s Sanctuary Hall. Listening to Jake Armerding is a journey. His original songs are crafted from personal experiences, observations, emotions and an innate musicality, borne of his upbringing.

VIDEOS: Mary Gauthier to sing stories of survival in Mansfield show this Saturday

For someone who was orphaned in New Orleans by parents she never knew, had life-threatening encounters with drug and alcohol abuse, and spent her 18^th birthday in a jail cell, Mary Gauthier is doing pretty darn well. She’ll demonstrate that at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, when she debuts at Mansfield’s Rose Garden Coffeehouse.

VIDEO: "PBS Arts from the Blue Ridge Mountains: Give Me the Banjo" from PBS

Steve Martin and others look at the banjo in this PBS special, “a musical odyssey through 300 years of American culture”….posted here in case you missed it:

VIDEOS: Angel Band visits Franklin's Circle of Friends on Saturday

Angel Band, a trio of powerful female vocalists who perform in their own right and sometimes along with David Bromberg, will bring their rootsy, bluesy Americana songs to Franklin’s Circle of Friends Coffeehouse on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. Opening the show will be K.C. Clifford, a three-time Woody Guthrie Award-winning singer-songwriter from Oklahoma City, known for her powerful voice, stage presence and courageous lyrical style.

VIDEO: Singer-songwriter Bob Franke comes to Javawocky in Brockton on Saturday

Bob Franke remains one of the most poignant and respected musicians on the folk music circuit. Franke (rhymes with “Yankee”) is best known for his songs which are spiritually generous, but others are either topical or funny. He will be visiting locally at the Javawocky Coffeehouse in Brockton on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011.

VIDEOS: Finger-style guitarist Jim Hurst releasing new solo CD

Recently, in Nashville, I had the chance to see a solo performance by award-winning fingerstyle guitarist Jim Hurst. Jim was supposed to perform with another award winner, dobroist Rob Ickes, at an after-hours IBMA showcase. Ickes, as it turns out, was ill and couldn’t perform. Hurst, took to the microphone, explained Ickes’ absence, and proceeded to blow away a small, but appreciative, crowd. As much as I enjoy Ickes’ playing, I didn’t miss him during this show.

VIDEOS: Funny video announces banjo player's latest release

Noam Pikelny is one of the country’s finest banjo players. But he can’t sing. Rather than listen to banjo jokes, I guess he decided to poke fun at himself and his singing. His latest release, called “Beat the Devil and Carry A Rail” (Compass Records), will be available on Oct. 25, 2011. In the meantime, Funny or Die has release a very funny video featuring Pikelny, fellow banjoist and humorist/actor Steve Martin, TV’s Ed Helm, and others.

VIDEO: Duo to perform free show of Irish music in America at Stoughton Library

Traditional Irish music will be coming to the Stoughton Public Library from 2-3 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 22, 2011. The award-winning duo of Atwater-Donnelly, a husband-wife group from Rhode Island, will perform this free show with the theme of Irish Music in America. Aubrey Atwater, an accomplished musician, singer and step-dancer, and her husband, Elwood Donnelly, also a multi-instrumentalist, play to packed houses throughout New England, performing traditional music as well as some originals.

VIDEOS & PHOTOS: Exceptional show from The Honey Dewdrops

It’s not often I come away from a show absolutely wowed by a performance. The Honey Dewdrops, a Virginia couple who played at the Rose Garden Coffeehouse in Mansfield, Mass., for the first time Saturday night, brought a mix of harmonies, musicianship and stage presence that left me wanting more. Kagey Parrish and Laura Wortman displayed the powerful vocals of other duos like David Rawlings and Gillian Welch, and while their styles differ, the Dewdrops bring a warmth to the stage that is endearing.