Bobby Osborne. Photo by Senor McGuire

Bobby Osborne, one of bluegrass ’s war horses, has a lot going on as he pulls out of the starting gate for the new year. For one, he has a new label, having recently signed with Rural Rhythm, and there’s the promise that a couple of projects are already in the works.

Osborne is ending his run with Rounder Records, which last year released Osborne’s third Rounder CD, Bluegrass & Beyond.

Secondly, Osborne’s band, the Rocky Top X-Press, has a new banjo player, Michael Toppins from West Virginia. Toppins originally started playing dobro with the X-Press in March 2009 and switched to banjo in December when the band played at the Grand Ole Opry. Toppins has played with country music stars such as Hall of Famer “Whisperin’” Bill Anderson and Pam Tillis.

And, after a long break, Osborne will team up again with J.D. Crowe in the American Bluegrass Masters Tour. They resume their historic appearances on March 20 at the Lyric Theatre in Stuart, Fla.

Others on the tour are Richard Bennett, Curtis Burch, Dean Osborne, Bobby Osborne Jr., and J.P. Mathes, as well as the Kentucky School of Bluegrass & Traditional Music Ensemble.

Hailing from Kentucky, both Osborne and Crowe pass the torch of America’s musical heritage to the unbridled talents of tomorrow. Old-timey tradition meets youthful energy in a concert of vibrant front-porch twang and infectious rhythms that define the American spirit.

Related Links

• Bobby Osborne
• J.D. Crowe
• Rural Rhythm Records