CD Review

Before changing their name to the Ryan Cavanaugh Trio earlier this year - due to the departure of percussionist Chris Dougherty - Space Station Integration released Live from Nowhere. Fusing the traditional banjo with high-energy, jazz-fusion, Cavanaugh and company heighten the bluegrass bar by further adding elements of rock, bluegrass, funk, Celtic and Indian to the mix. All done of course with a definitive focus on improvisation.

Recorded this past summer, Live from Nowhere is a unique set of tunes that take you on a journey to what I hope is the future of bluegrass. From the classic “Dueling Banjo” that dives right into a strong “Mozingo Road,” to the latin-esque rhythms of “Puerto Del Ray,” the band constantly draws you closer, wondering where they will go next. Most tracks tend to revolve around the trio’s jazzy improvisation that meshes well against the strong picking of Cavanaugh, but many of the album highlights are directly related to the strong bass play of Rob Nye.

Now that the namesake is squared away and bluegrass festival season is fast approaching, let’s hope they can keep it coming.

See ryancavanaughtrio.com for more info.