Here’s a Christmas offering from Dear Maribella & the Pigkickers, the Trakimowicz siblings from Hampstead, NC, who have made a mark of late with their family bluegrass sound. They have created a grassy arrangement of the holiday classic Silver Bells, which was first released in 1950, sung by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards.

It’s delivered here by big sister AnnMari Trakimowicz, who plays guitar, supported by Isabella Trakimowicz on fiddle, Peter Trakimowicz on banjo, Chris Trakimowicz on mandolin, and their dad, Joel Trakimowicz, on bass.

They’ve put together this clever video to share the song. Everybody sing!

Silver Bells from Dear Maribella & the Pigkickers is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Silver Bells video from Dear Maribella & the Pigkickers appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

The Brothers Young, teen grassers out of Roanoke, Virginia, have released their new bluegrass Christmas album, and it holds treasures you will want to add to your playlist.

Ayden (banjo, vocals, production) and Blane (mandolin, vocals, humor, and ‘Michael Jordan-esq’ leaps into the crowd) are joined by Steve Farmer (bass) and Stefan Kraft (guitar) on their second full album. Good friend Charlie Milliron, sits in on the dobro, and church friend David Thacker adds some first-rate fiddle.

The twelve songs on this project range from tender and holy (What Child Is This and Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem) to sassy (Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, Run Rudolph Run ) to driving bluegrass, (Breakin’ Up Christmas, Christmas Time’s A Comin‘) which are great picking by anyone’s standards. Breakin’ Up Christmas is an instrumental that was made popular by old-time fiddle player Tommy Jarrell, who played around Mt Airy, NC.  

Hard to believe, given their ages, but The Brothers Young have given nearly 1,000 performances and are well known up and down the Crooked Road, especially at The Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, where the boys continue to impress. This past summer, Blane won the youth mandolin division, and Ayden placed second in the adult division. Back in 2021, the boys won best band in the youth division at Galax.

Blane, who had the unenviable task of singing harmony while going through puberty, does a phenomenal job singing Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer. This is his coming-of-age album. Instrumentally, he can pick with anyone and hold his own.

Or as Blane put it…

“The true enjoyment came when recording Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, by showcasing my comedic talents in a song.”

Ayden is a true Renaissance man. Aside from being an outstanding traditional banjo player and jazz pianist, he taught himself how to record, mix, edit, and master recordings. And Ayden carries the additional weight of being the band leader and visionary. Anyone who has ever tried to record and mix knows that this young man is a quick learner.

He humbly recognized the achievement.

“Working on two albums in one year has helped make me a better producer.”

And Ayden, who knew you spoke Hawaiian, shared a boisterous Mele Kalikimaka.

Because Christmas albums only tend to get a month of seasonal play each year, you will want to see the Brothers Young live. The brothers have a busy 2026 festival schedule, which is happy news for us!  They are one of the most entertaining bluegrass bands out there. Crowds love them not only for their musicianship but also for their humility, humor, and brotherly banter.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Please Come Home for Christmas – The Brothers Young appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

One of the most enduringly successful holiday tours in acoustic music is surely Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder Christmas. Popular over many years, like his Ricky Skaggs Family Christmas shows, the band brings a fresh bluegrass feel to a slate of Christmas favorites, along with holiday songs Ricky has recorded over the years.

The show will offer interpretations of seasonal classics like Christmas Time’s A Comin’, New Star Shining, Let It Snow, and Mary, Did You Know?, plus instrumental arrangements of Deck the Halls, Ancient Christmas Tones, and Icy Vine Grove. Skaggs and his wickedly hot band will also take a step back for several sing-alongs on Joy to the World and Silver Bells.

The tour starts in early December and runs just over a week, stopping at a number of southeastern states next month.

Included for the 2025 season are:

• December 4 – Philadelphia, MS – Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music / Ellis Theater
• December 5 – Owensboro, KY – Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum / Woodward Theatre
• December 6 – Steelville, MO – Meramec Music Theatre
• December 7 – Nashville, TN – The Fisher Center at Belmont University
• December 8 – Birmingham, AL – Lyric Theatre
• December 11 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
• December 12 – Cincinnati, OH – Memorial Hall OTR
• December 13 – Bristol, VA – Hard Rock Live Bristol

Tickets for this show always go quickly, so make your plans soon.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Ricky Skaggs Christmas tour rides again appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

It’s that time again! Christmas music is making its way to Bluegrass Today!

And we start with everybody’s favorite bluegrass Christmas elf, Kody Norris, and his new version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Can you just picture Kody and Mary Rachel all dressed up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus?

The Kody Norris Show has put together this holiday treat just ahead of Thanksgiving, when most folks will accept that it’s OK to hum a carol or two. Kody sings the lead and plays guitar, with Mary Rachel on mandolin and bass, Hayden ‘Jim’ Hensley on banjo, percussion, and harmony vocal, plus Jason Barie adding fiddle.

It’s great fun, and sure to get you in a holiday mood – bluegrass style.

Have a listen.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town from The Kody Norris Show is available now from Rebel Records at popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Santa Claus is Coming to Town from Kody Norris appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Rock Hearts has jumped in to the Christmas bluegrass single mix at the last minute with a song from their current album.

It’s Willie Nelson’s Pretty Paper, a heartbreak number that was a hit for Roy Orbison in 1963. The boys in Rock Hearts dress it up in a nice twin-fiddle bluegrass arrangement, just perfect for Christmastime.

Have a listen…

Pretty Paper from Rock Hearts is available from popular download and streaming services online, and for download purchase directly from the artists. Radio programmers will find the track at AirPlay Direct.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Pretty Paper from Rock Hearts appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

This past Saturday, Authentic Unlimited hosted their first of soon to be many annual Christmas shows at the Field of Dreams Activity Center in Dandridge, TN. 

Before the show, Jerry Cole’s longtime friend, John Williams, led off with a reading of the Christmas story from Luke, and an opening prayer. Then the band launched into an hour long set of bluegrass for the packed auditorium. They played their classic set list and absolutely tore it up. Authentic had a special guest join them to play dobro during Fall in Tennessee, former Quicksilver bandmate, Josh Swift. 

The second set rolled around, and it was time for a total Christmas takeover. Josh Swift switched from dobro to drums, Chris Key joined to play piano, and even Santa Claus himself showed up to sing, though he did look suspiciously like Jerry. The boys went through the entirety of their new Christmas album, Christmas Time is Here. The instrumentation was a solid mix of jazzy Christmas grooves and slick bluegrass sounds. Jesse Brock and Steven Burwell lit the traditional holiday songs up with fast breaks and incredible licks, John, Jerry, and Eli crooned the night away, and Josh Swift and Chris Key backed the band expertly. The crowd loved every minute of the second set and was floating along with excitement and Christmas Spirit. 

The true highlight of the set was Authentic Unlimited bringing together the whole story of the real reason for the Christmas season. Eli Johnston sang the Keith Whitley song, New Kid in Town, and John closed out the show with Jonas, bringing the story full circle from the manger to the crucifixion and resurrection. 

“We talk about the birth of Christ in New Kid in Town,” John Meador began, “and as beautiful of a thing as that is, that wasn’t his only purpose for coming here. He came to die, to fulfill the prophecy to die for all of our sins so that we could have everlasting life. I’m going to try to finish the story here. We told you about the birth of Christ; now I’m going to tell you about the end.”

Ending the show with Jonas was quit powerful, and truly brought the whole message of Christmas together beautifully. 

The post Authentic Unlimited Christmas concert appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Veteran guitarist, vocalist, and solo artist Jim Hurst has released a music video as his 2024 offering for the Christmas season.

It’s a lovely treatment of the classic hymn, Silent Night, which he recorded with his Gallagher Jim Hurst Signature Series model #1, the rosewood companion to his road axe, the mahogany #2. Jim sings it in a straightforward fashion with his rich baritone.

Hurst isn’t offering the track for sale, just sharing the lovely audio he tracked at Tim Carter’s TreeHouse Studios as a gift to all in this video with a virtual fireplace and a variety of Christmas images.

Enjoy…

The post Silent Night from Jim Hurst appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Is it really Christmas time until we listen to Christmas Time’s A-Comin’?

Banjo Ben Clark and several members of the staff at Banjo Ben’s General Store, have just released a video with their version of the Tex Logan classic, recorded by Bill Monroe in 1951. Since that time it’s been covered by a bevy of other artists like Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Rhonda Vincent, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Jerry Garcia.

Clark and crew run a popular online store offering instruments and supplies for bluegrass pickers, based in Exeter, MO.

Featured in the video are Clark on bass and harmony vocal, instrument set up tech Darrell Burns on guitar and lead vocal, production manager Daniel Epperson on guitar and harmony vocal, customer service and sales person Evan Ree on mandolin, and General Store manager Jake Stogdill on banjo.

Check out their version of this bluegrass Christmas gem.

If you still need strings and accessories for a Christmas gift, or even a shiny new banjo or mandolin, reach out to Banjo Ben and the boys online.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Christmas Time’s A-Comin’ from Banjo Ben’s General Store appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Last year Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers cut a swinging bluegrass version of Reindeer Boogie for their Because It’s Christmas Time album with Billy Blue Records.

There’s no new Christmas music from them for 2024, but they did create this music video for Reindeer Boogie, with Joe donning the Santa gear for an outdoor shoot.

The song was written by Cordia Volkmar, Donnie Brooks, and Hank Snow, and was released by Snow in 1953, its first recording.

Have a look/listen below…

Reindeer Boogie and the full Because It’s Christmas album, with 10 tracks of mostly new bluegrass holiday songs, are available from popular download and streaming services online. The audio CD can be ordered directly from the artists.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Reindeer Boogie video from Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Michigan’s Full Cord made a trip to Nashville to cut a Christmas single for their label, Dark Shadow Recording, a new song co-written by the band’s mandolinist, which he also sings.

Christmas Cheer, from Brian Oberlin and Joe New, is a contemporary carol that fits perfectly within the group’s reputation as progressive grassers. After kicking off with a jazzy swing, Full Cord drops back into a quick-moving bluegrass groove, and then back again.

Oberlin likes the fact that this song eschews the commercialized buying side of the holiday in favor of time with the ones you love best.

“I love the notion of a sole Christmas gift being that of spending time with loved ones near a decorated tree, rather than the hustle and bustle of gift giving. That sentiment mixed with western swing and a bluegrass gallop makes Christmas Cheer a personal treasure.”

The rest of Full Cord chimes in as well, with Eric Langejans on guitar, George Guthrie on banjo, Chase Potter on fiddle, and Todd Kirchner on bass.

It is indeed a cheery number, just right for a cup of nog beside a roaring fire – or perhaps an icy drink and a cooling fan if you are in warmer climes.

Have a listen.

Christmas Cheer by Full Cord is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.

The post Christmas Cheer from Full Cord appeared first on Bluegrass Today.