The Del McCoury Band

Bluegrass maestro Del McCoury has bravely gone where few bluegrass bands have gone before, playing rock and jam-band venues, thereby introducing his high, lonesome sound to a new generation of listeners. On most of his albums, McCoury successfully straddles the divide between progressive and traditional music. The Promised Land, a collection of gospel tunes, is traditional to its core — an album that's full of fire and brimstone, to mix a metaphor. At age 67, McCoury has retained the youthful vigor in his voice, a tenor so high it borders on falsetto, full of soulful authority and sanctified power. By the time the album ends, even nonbelievers will find themselves jumping up to shout hallelujah.