Jerry Douglas

This was a wonderful show- I hadn't seen most of them before, but they were so talented and entertaining, I feel lucky to have gotten a ticket to see them on the last night of their tour on our side of 'the pond'. They are seriously good musicians!

If you like Celtic, bluegrass and a touch of country, performed by brilliant musicians, then this is for you. I hope to never miss them again. Jerry Douglas is just such a great Dobro player, and seems to be able to do anything he wants on it. His intro was that they were going to play for a good 2.5 hours non-stop because they just wanted to give us so much music. Non-stop. He did give permission to get up and go to the bathroom if you had to. I held it in - wouldn't miss a second. Aly Bain was great, as were all the guests and the band itself. A show I will never forget. I wish I could get a recording. Seriously, if you ever have a chance to see Jerry, Aly and friends, do it.

May have been one of the best assemblies of musicians and inventive vocalists that I have seen in my lifetime, all held together by master of the dobro Jerry Douglas. This was a terrific show in the wonderful listening room of Town Hall in NYC

A Master at the top of his game, Especially early on Jerry's dobro was a little lost in the mix behind his crack band, but when he was front and center (or better still, played alone) it was simply magical. How could there have been so many empty seats for this great show at this great venue?

I loved it! They are all terrific musicians and the surprise guest was a fabulous bonus. I would also like it if Jerry and his group sang a little more. Hope to see him back soon.

What a concert. The musicianship from Jerry, Omar, Viktor, and Luke was beyond world class. The program was varied, a fusion of bluegrass and jazz, along with pure examples of both genres. Played to perfection. Then, when Paul Simon showed up, WOW!!!

I have been playing country music for over 30 years as a drummer and have seen numerous acts over those years. Jerry was by FAR the most talented player I have ever seen live. His whole band was awesome in fact.

The Bears Den is by far my favorite venue... perfect for a night like this one with Jerry Douglas... it's the first time I've seen him live...and he was everything I expected & more... his band was fantastic... pure young professionals... It was truly a memorable night. To me... it was as close to having Jerry live in your living room, as you can get... Do I recommend this... without a doubt... would I go again... every chance I get... It really doesn't get any better... He's down to earth, personable & funny! Oh yeah...unbelievably talented... Jerry's fantastic...don't miss him if you get a chance!!

The Jerry Douglas/John Oates/Aiofe O'Donovan concert was a welcome break from the madness that is the holiday season! The Showcase Live venue is very nice - not intimate like Club Passim or Johnny D's but excellent acoustics and there are plenty of staff who are very attentive. As for the show itself, all of these musicians were excellent - including the members of Jerry Douglas band. I had seen Jerry Douglas perform before Paul Simon at B.U. and have been to four Crooked Still concerts so I already knew that Aiofe O'Donovan is amazing! I wasn't as familiar with John Oates and hadn't seen him perform before, but was reasonably impressed even though his music isn't quite up my alley. While I would say that overall the concert rates in the "great" category, I actually think that it could have been even better. This is because I felt like they tried to cram too much in one concert - first by including the three artists but not giving them each a time to perform by themselves. Aiofe and John wandered in and out as songs dictated, and at times I felt like Jerry was just trying to find things for them to do. This was especially true in Aiofe's case - there were songs where I felt like she was thinking "what am I doing on stage for this song and when am I supposed to sing?" It wasn't her fault - I just didn't think her talents were able to shine through as much as when I've seen her with Crooked Still. This was evident when she did one of her own songs - "Diamonds" - and really rocked. The second way in which I felt like the concert was trying to do too much was the mix between holiday music and other songs. The concert weaved back and forth between the two, never quite making up its mind up which direction it wanted to go. Since they played two sets, I think a better way to go would have been to start out with Christmas songs and stick with them for the first set, and then to play the other songs (including John's and Aiofe's originals) after the break. Finally, the encore was disappointing... maybe it's just me but I like it when a band ends with an upbeat crowd pleaser instead of a slower, downbeat tune that sounds similar to several others played earlier in the evening. Overall, a nice evening and excellent musicians - even though a reorganization of the play list and better showcasing of John's and Aiofe's talents could have made it even better!

This was probably the best live musical performance I've ever been to. The level of musicianship was virtuosic all around, and there were a few big surprises. First of all, I'll voice a minor complaint. This was not billed as a Christmas-themed show, but when Jerry took the stage he announced that it would be. Well I can forgive that now that I understand he's got a "Jerry Christmas" CD he's promoting. About 30% of the evening's material was Christmas tunes, although they were arranged and performed incredibly well...especially that Vince Garibaldi/Peanuts Christmas tune the band did..don't know the name of it but I knew it when I heard it. That made it easier to swallow, for me at least. The surprises: Alex Hargreaves, on fiddle...2009 Grand Master Fiddle Champion...at 16 years old....just blew the audience away. What a talent. Next Surprise: John Oates. I did not know how good this guy was. Great guitar player, excellent rootsy singer with a lot of soul. The band killed with the arrangement of "Man Eater". They took a pop tune I don't like and did a big-time genre-bender with the alt-progrssive-folk-bluegrass style. Next surprise: The sound was excellent...all details and all musicians were heard. I'm very critical of soundmen who can otherwise ruin great musician's performances with lousy sound mixing and ignorance of the music...but the sound guy did as close to perfect a live mix as you can get, and I was sitting only about 30 feet from the stage. Thumbs up !

This show was wonderful. There truly is no one like Jerry Douglad and he managed to not disappoint. The musicians he has assembled including a 17 year old fiddler manage to rise up to his amazing musical ability. The arrangements of the Christmas music were excellent and I was pleased that they managed to mix in other varieties of music. John Oates while not a great singer is a marvelous performer, instrumentalist and song writer. Maura O'Connell has a marvelous voice and almost tongue in cheek absurd sort of stage presence which is fun to watch. All in all it is a thrill to watch folks who are great at what they do and seem to enjoy doing it.

First, Jerry Douglas is a great musician -- creative, passionate and technical, and wonderfully good humored. He's truly a joy to watch and hear ... and he alone (with his great band) would have been more than enough. Second, John Oates was a great surprise ... and worked real well with Jerry. Their pairing worked out very well, for both of them I think. He made the show even stronger. Third, Maura O'Connell was good, but certainly less strong than either Jerry or John. I'm not sure why ... I had a sense of her trying too hard both to fit in and to distinguish herself. Also, she's not as pitch perfect a singer as she used to be. Finally, I don't mind musicians expressing their political preferences -- and I would tend to agree with her preferences -- but I think she went on a bit too much in the context of this show. And her closing song (Chile), while performed very well (perhaps her best of the show), felt very out of place in the show ... and particularly as the closing or next-to-closing song in what's overall a very fun and positive show. (Good that Douglas added a song after her last song.)

I thought the fiddlers,pipers,tinwhistlers,guitarists and rhythm section were spectacular. I wished they had stuck to more traditional songs rather than some of the vocalists own compositions. I would have liked to have heard more of Sarah Jarosz.

I am a trained classical musician. These are very talented artists playing as an ensemble. If you like this kind of music then this is a show that can't be missed.

Jerry Douglas, Aly Bain with an all star band from Scotland and Ireland with Roseanne Cash, May Chaplin Carpenter, Aoife O'Donovon, Sarah Jarosz, John Paul White, Karen Matheson and Declan O'Rourke. Fantastic players and singers, who all seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as the audience!

Put the Transatlantic Sessions onto your permanent radar screen.

Transatlantic Sessions was a superb concert of Irish, Scottish, and American country - folk music performed by world-class musicians.

I am new to the Transatlantic Sessions orchestra. They are a talented group of musicians and their guest performers add fun to the show

The Earls are a polished group that have a smooth sound that stays with you. Jerry Douglas is called Flux for a good reason - he's the best dobro player in the world bar none. Combine that with a group that has 30 years experience per man and you have a great sound.

If you like Dobro guitar, then you will love Jerry Douglas!! A primarily solo show really exposes you to his talent as a musician and charm as an entertainer. If you have the chance, go to see him. You will be glad you went.

I have seen Jerry Douglas many times including as a solo performer and as part of numerous ensembles either of his own creation or as an addition to someone else's group. His mastery of his instrument is nothing short of amazing. Among the things I like best are his willingness to share credit for his own journey with those he admired such as in this case Mike Auldridge as well as his mentoring of up and coming talent. He was joined for a couple of numbers by Jason Starling on dobro and on a couple of others by Frank Sullivan on mandolin. Both of these folks were unknown to me but are true talents and added a sense that Jerry continues to be a force in the industry to ensure that the genre lives on and does so with incredible quality and creativity. Jerry Douglas is a good story teller and has deep roots at the Birchmere and in this general geographic area. While he tells stories which add to the overall event they do not overshadow what folks came for which is his incredible music. He is generous with his time and presence and was on stage for nearly 2 hours straight. It is always a joy to watch a master do what they do in part because of how effortlessly they make it look. I will continue to show up when he is near by and encourage those who have not seen him to be first in line.

This was a great, great show. Primarily playing solo, his mastery of the resonator guitar was absolute. He played incredibly fast, and soulful, switching tunings instantly with his Hipshot Doubleshot tuning tailpiece and using some loops, so he never sounded repetitive. The tone of his Beard dobro is incredibly rich. I enjoyed his vocals on "Hey Joe." His guest players were excellent. Jerry mentioned that he's been performing at the Birchmere for 40 years, with many great bands, and he doesn't get much opportunity to do solo shows. It is more than worth it to catch one. The Birchmere is a great venue, great sound, and it feels like a big family party. My wife and I were the 40th party in line for seating, and we had great seats. There's no better venue--anywhere.

Awesome show in an intimate setting. My first trip to the Birchmere and it won't be my last. Great venue, close proximity to the performers, good food/beer. Jerry is a flat-out world class musician, so it goes without saying that the music was top notch--as expected. I could not have thought of a better place to watch/listen to Jerry and his guests.

What a great evening. My fiance took me for my birthday. Not only is Jerry an amazing dobro player - he's also quite funny and we enjoyed his stories in between songs. We love events at the Birchmere - it's such an intimate venue. Like hanging out with a bunch of friends. Having never heard Jerry as a solo act, I went with no huge expectations. I was more than pleasantly surprised that he held together a whole evening with his dobro. The other dobro player and mandolin player that he called up to the stage were excellent as well.

2nd time we've seen & heard Jerry Douglas & The Earls. One the best shows we've seen!!!!!!!!!

They were absolutely amazing. Played nonstop for over two hours; looked like they were having a wonderful time playing together and for the audience. Jerry Douglas is an amazing musician but so is everyone else in this group.

Peter Rowan and his Twang Theory really were great. Played some of PR favorites but changed tempo and experimented. In the end I came away reminding myself why i've always loved the Rowans. JDouglas was ok, not as good as past shows. To much loud "electric style" songs. I know he likes to change it up when he is on his own but come on. His surprise singing was pretty good. Best song an old Ike and Tina hit, Every thing is gonna work out!

I was transfixed by Jerry Douglas and his band. They were all world class players and I loved it. On the other side of the ledger was Peter Rowan. His acoustic guitar music was pleasant enough but when he picked up the electric guitar I didn't like it much. The sidemen played very well but it was obvious that they didn't know the songs. Then they got into Grateful Dead type jams and it just went on and on--way too long for my tastes.

Truly a wonderful show. I had seen Jerry Douglas years ago in the bay area. He was impressive then. The show last Saturday blew me away! Peter Rowan and the Big Twang Theory were also a treat!

Great show. Great venue. Peter Rowan Band with Nina Gerber (a real guitar treasure) jammed out on a couple tunes with Gerber and Witcher (dobro) and even Peter sharing some inspired licks. Jerry his usual self. Greatest dobro player in the world. Changed the nature of his instrument like Bela Fleck did the banjo. The Uptown is a great place for music lovers.

Peter Rowan has a great voice and his whole band looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Jerry Douglas and his bandmates played stellar bluegrass and also rocked the house! Couldn't have enjoyed it more. Great venue!!!

A stellar evening at The Wonderful Uptown. I am a big Peter Rowan Fan and he & his group were beyond the beyond. Nina Gerber was amazing. The entire group was so so fine. Peter's voice and harmonies are as good as ever. He is so soulful. Jerry Douglas was also tremendous and what a great group around him. Seen both groups, of course with different personnel at Hardly Strictly and they are legends.

Jerry Douglas is, of course, fantastic, and his stage performance was just right for the genre. Lights and sound were dialed in to a T. I would have liked a longer set, but Pete Rowan, who warmed up, played longer than he should have. But I didn't mind, because Pete Rowan is so fantastic, and now I can say I've seen him live.

Saw Jerry Douglas at the Uptown. Hes a funny [comedy] guy with great musical chops and quite a wide range...bluegrass to Ike and Tina to Leadbelly. Problem is their is no frontman singer. I left early but enjoyed what I saw. Really missed a good singer though.

Jerry and the band were great, though the sound guy let them down a bit. The music was unforgettable, the mood was laid back, Jerry's banter was inviting, and the event staff's hospitality provided the perfect backdrop.

Music was awful, Carolina Theater acoustics/sound system were even worse. I've heard Jerry Douglass perform 5 or 6 times in the past (from blue grass to Alison Krauss to the more contemporary stuff he's been doing for the last few years) and always enjoyed the concert. Not this time.

Look forward to you having them return to Durham. Can't think of much to say except that it was a terrific evening.

While Jerry Douglas is my favorite musician ever, this was a terrible show...the main problem was that the drummer was so freaking loud, obnoxious and totally overran the other instruments...literally couldn't hear the dobro sometimes. Also the acoustics were awful, could not make out what the singers said, and there was alot of distortion, especially from the electric dobro. For 40 plus bucks, totally not worth it....if this is the best acoustics the Carolina can do, I'll not go to another show there.

This band are top notch musicians with unique talents and well worth hearing in person.

Concert was so great! Better than I had imagined and bought the "Traveler" CD and think that's amazing as well!! Don't miss the chance to see this show. All musicians were outstanding!!!

The venue at Sixth and i was great. Every seat is excellent. The place would have sold out on a Friday/Saturday. But given it was a tuesday -- I was amazed how many made it. The syonagogue acoustics were great and the music was not overly loud. I loved the second half when Jerry played solo. He had amazing musicians with him -- fiddle, bass and drums.

Obviously a talented group. Good music and talent. Too loud for the I Street Synagogue venue. The music was not as familiar as we had hoped it would be.