Originating a signature mix of bluegrass, Reinhardt/Grappelli's Hot Club "gypsy jazz", Latin rhythms, klezmer music, and myriad global influences into a holistic approach he calls “Dawg music,” Grisman began his career during the explosive folk and blues revival of the 1960s, working in the Even Dozen Jug Band with future stars Maria Muldaur and John Sebastian before launching a career as a solo artist and a collaborator with artists including Stephane Grappelli, Del McCoury, Red Allen, Bonnie Raitt, and Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Grisman’s iconic 1974 acoustic quintet album with Garcia, Old And In The Way, became one of the best-selling bluegrass albums of all time, and in the same year he formed his most enduring ensemble, the hugely influential David Grisman Quartet, who are still active today.

Texas-born banjoist Danny Barnes is a visionary musician equally informed by the bluegrass tradition and the the punk rock of his youth. Founding member of the Austin string trio Bad Livers, Barnes has worked with artists including Bill Frisell and the Dave Matthews Band. He was the 2015 recipient of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass.