Denver-based progressive bluegrass quartet Magoo will release their debut album What a Life on February 27, 2026. The ten-track set was mastered by two-time Grammy-winning engineer David Glasser, known for his work with Grateful Dead, at Airshow Mastering.
The album will arrive in the middle of a Western and Southern U.S. tour that began November 21 in Denver, Colorado, and includes select dates supporting Shadowgrass and Kitchen Dwellers. Additional festival appearances in 2026 include Grand Targhee Bluegrass, Northlands Music Festival, WinterWonderGrass, BajaWonderGrass and others.
Magoo’s music leans into jam-band energy and improvisation that often feels close to jazz, while keeping traditional bluegrass instrumentation and vocal harmonies at the core.
What a Life features “Angel of Telluride,” a track with guest Sam Bush, widely regarded as a pioneer of progressive bluegrass. Mandolinist Courtlyn Bills explains that the song draws on real events and tells the story of meeting and falling in love at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.
The band’s lineup includes Dylan Flynn on dobro, winner of the 2024 RockyGrass Dobro Competition; guitarist Erik Hill, runner-up in the RockyGrass Flatpicking Contest; mandolinist Courtlyn Bills; and bassist Denton Turner. The group’s résumé already includes wins at the UllrGrass Band Competition and Clash of the Strings, a second-place finish at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition, and a sold-out headlining show at Globe Hall in Denver.
Magoo has appeared at WinterWonderGrass, Grand Lake Folk Festival, RapidGrass, Huck Finn Jubilee, WinterWonderGrass, The Big What?, Smalltown For the Cause and more.
Magoo – Photo by Jeff Fasano
Author: World Music Central News Room
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