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Progressive bluegrass

Posted Oct. 21, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
Last modified Feb. 13, 2011, at 10:51 a.m.

The bluegrass that Bill Evans plays isn’t your grandma’s bluegrass. It isn’t even your mama’s blue-grass — it’s Bill Evans’ bluegrass, and that means it’s a class unto its own. For 25 years, Evans has taken his instrument, the banjo, and reinvented it time again. He infuses jazz, rock, folk and even 19th century parlor music into his playing, putting him at the forefront of progressive bluegrass. His creative, lightning-fast picking can be heard on his many albums, from his recordings with fellow modern bluegrass legends David Grisman and Peter Rowan to his solo album “Bill Evans Plays Banjo,” lauded as a classic by numerous music critics upon its 2001 release. Evans tours regularly with fiddler Megan Lynch, her-self a powerful voice in traditional music. Lynch won six National Fiddle Championships, all before the age of 20. She’s as versatile as her musical partner, Evans, embracing Celtic, Texan and R&B music, as well as bluegrass. Together, Evans and Lynch are a seemingly unstoppable musical force — and lucky eastern Maine listeners will get a chance to see them in action this Friday, when they perform at the Unity Centre for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at the door or by calling 948-SHOW.