North Carolina band Acoustic Syndicate has been making a unique mix of bluegrass instruments, rock sensibilities, and conscious songwriting since 1992. Their style is sometimes called jamgrass.
Through various albums, thousands of performances, and tens-of-thousands of kilometers, Acoustic Syndicate has long been regarded as one of the important influences on the modern American roots-music revival.
As of 2021, Acoustic Syndicate was fronted by Steve McMurry on guitar, mandolin and vocals, and his cousin Bryon McMurry on banjo, guitar, and vocals. Their signature three-part blood harmony was completed by Bryon’s brother Fitz McMurry on drums, percussion and vocals. Multi-instrumentalist Jay Sanders played bass and N/SStick.
In 2021, the band released a series of singles for Organic Records. One f those songs was “Bertha,” a traditional roots version of a 50-year-old Grateful Dead classic.
(headline image: Acoustic Syndicate, courtesy of Organic Records)
Discography:
Acoustic Syndicate (Acoustic Syndicate, 1996)
Tributaries (Acoustic Syndicate, 1999)
Crazy Little Life (Little King Records, 2000)
Live From The Neighborhood (Little King Records, 2003)
Terra Firma (Sugar Hill Records, 2003)
Long Way Round (Sugar Hill Records, 2004)
Rooftop Garden (Little King Records, 2013)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.