Big Blue Zoo

Greensky Bluegrass skillfully walks the line between traditional and progressive on the live double CD All Access, Vol. 2, recorded at Teaneck, N.J.‘s Mexicali Live. Although Greensky Bluegrass claims that its name is more of a pun than a statement about redefining the genre, the play on words is entirely applicable to these two sets of music. Whether its concise, time-honored storytelling ( “Old Barns,” “Grow Bananas” ) or all out jams that explore the far reaches, GSBG proves to be at home at either end of the bluegrass spectrum. And it’s through its novel interpretations of traditionals, “Jesus on the Mainline” and “I Know You Rider,” that Greensky Bluegrass shows its reverence for those artisans who’ve come before, even while the band blazes ahead.