Kruger Brothers

“These guys are capable of playing the fingers off a roomful of great players, yet they hold back and concentrate on bringing out the best in their own music.” – Barb Heller, host of String Fever, North Country Public Radio

In an ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo, vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar, lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass, vocals) personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.

The honesty of their writing has become a hallmark of the trio’s work. Another is the banjo playing and composition of Jens Kruger. Happy Traum has described Kruger as “one of the world’s most musically sophisticated and technically accomplished five- string banjo players.” Steve Martin has described Jens Kruger as “one of the great technicians” of bluegrass as well as “a very expressive player.” Kruger plays in a melodic style that, while it may stem from the three-finger bluegrass style popularized by Snuffy Jenkins and Earl Scruggs, is also differentiated by long melodic passages and a more complex compositional foundation, often building on jazz or classical themes and techniques.

In recognition of his style and skill, Jens Kruger is an inductee to the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame (2011) and is the fourth recipient of the coveted Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass (2013).

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This season’s lineup is dedicated to the memory of our beloved board member and former board president, Kimberly Williams Shuker.