Shelter Island Reporter

Steep Canyon Rangers

An evening of bluegrass music with the Steep Canyon Rangers will be hosted by the town's Recreation Department on Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium.

This young, energetic band has played at over 100 venues in the past year, including a stint with comedian/banjoist Steve Martin and a month-long tour in Germany. A show with Mr. Martin and bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley at Carnegie Hall put the spotlight on a band whose time, reviewers say, has come.

According to concert organizer Tom Hashagen, "This terrific young band plays a variety of songs that stay close to the traditional roots of the genre but ... also takes extended forays stretching the boundaries of contemporary bluegrass.

Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, the Rangers have been playing together for about 10 years and have built a reputation as an engaging acoustic quintet. Before being nominated for two international bluegrass awards in 2008 (including album of the year), they were named Emerging Artist of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards in Nashville.

Their latest release, "Deep in the Shade, on Rebel Records is climbing the Billboard Bluegrass chart, and a song from the album, "The Mountain's Gonna Sing, was picked by NPR as one of the year's top 10 folk songs.

The group appears regularly on the Grand Ole Opry as well as at major bluegrass festivals, including Telluride, MerleFest and Rocky Grass. The versatile musicians also often perform at rock venues on the jam-band circuit.

All seats for the Shelter Island performance are reserved and range from $20 to $30 per ticket. They can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com/event/89822 or by calling 1-800-838-3006. Closer to home, call Garth Griffin at the FIT Center, 749-0978; or Tom Hashagen at 749-2355 or 631-365-1979.