This young and energetic San Francisco quartet more than fulfills founding guitarist, Jeff Kazor's vision of a band that could revive the deep and haunting sounds of old-time music before the influence of radio, and fuse it with the high-lonesome harmonies of bluegrass. While this blurring of the edges is the focus, the band has the ability to play both genres straight and pure. Along with Jeff, the Crooked Jades include Lisa Berman, who plays dobro, slide and clawhammer banjo, Tom Lucas on banjo and fiddle, as well as recent addition Martha Hawthorne, who adds her acoustic bass and energetic clog dancing to the mix. Last year the group released its second album Seven Sisters: A Kentucky Portrait, a haunting documentary film soundtrack that explored the early incarnations of ballads and spirituals that have been rooted in the Appalachian culture for more than a century. The group has recently released its third album, The Unfortunate Rake, continuing its unearthing of the diverse gems of America's rural and mountain music repertoire.