Nightfall Preview: Claire Lynch

Allison Krauss gets the credit for giving the ladies their due in Bluegrass.

But there were other female performers out there before her.

And one of them was Claire Lynch.

Claire got started with her first band more than 30 years ago in Alabama.

She reached the upper echelons of the Bluegrass world with the Front Porch String Band and then later on her own.

That includes a couple of Grammy nominations and several IBMA awards and nominations.

But she also put her career on hold, twice, to raise a family.

Lynch has now been back on the road for a couple of years following a six year break.

Her calling cards are her songs, which she writes, and her voice, which has landed her a lot of studio work over the years.

Her voice is often compared to Dolly Parton's, and she did sing backup on Parton's recent Bluegrass faze.

The Claire Lynch Band these days is known for nimble & classy string arrangements.

Generally, just two guitars, bass and a mandolin or fiddle.  They only occasionally pull out a banjo.

Here are a couple of performances from this year's Merlefest.

Wednesday's Child is a bit shaky, but sounds good.

And this clip shows off the guitar skills of band member Jim Hurst.

The Bluegrass Pharoahs open the show at Miller Plaza Friday at 7:00 PM.

The Claire Lynch Band takes the stage at 8:00.

If you are a visitor to town or a newcomer, Nightfall is easy to get to.

Miller Plaza is in the center of town, at Market Street and MLK Boulevard.  Just take the Market Street exit off of I-24 and head downtown.

The concerts are always free.

You can check out the schedule at the Nightfall website.