Tonight the Freight is pleased to present a hot selection of bands dishing out some of the freshest, tastiest bluegrass to be found on the west coast. Coooome & get it!

California's premier band in the Bill Monroe and Stanley Brothers tradition, HIGH COUNTRY features exciting, driving rhythms, deft picking, and soulful singing. Led by Butch Waller, the ensemble -- which recently celebrated its 36th aniversary -- includes banjo player Larry Cohea, bassist Glenn Dauphin, fiddler Tom Bekeny, Bob Waller on guitar, and Jim Mintun on guitar and dobro.

Veterans of the California bluegrass scene, ALHAMBRA VALLEY BAND have been infusing their repertoire of original and traditional material with energy and reverence since 1986. Known for their driving bass groove and tight vocal harmony arrangements, this ensemble includes singer/guitarist and distinctive songwriter Lynn Quinones, fiddler Jill Cruey, mandolin player Dan Large, banjo picker Craig Fletcher, and bassman Bruce Campbell.

JEANIE & CHUCK'S COUNTRY ROUNDUP performs a tasty mix of honky tonk, bluegrass, and old time, spiced with humor and great showmanship. With a repertoire focused on the country classic era from the 1930s through the '60s, the quintet features powerful vocalist/guitarist Jeanie and mandolin player Chuck Poling, Eric Embry on banjo, Diana Greenberg on fiddle, and Mike Brown on bass.

Taking their audience on a journey through traditional and contemporary bluegrass songs, HIGHWAY ONE offers an ear for improvisation and a predilection for songs written by the women of bluegrass, from Molly O'Day to Hazel Dickens to Gillian Welch. Helen Sweetland on bass and vocals, Tom Manuel and Scott Atkinson on guitar/mandolin/vocals, and Jonathan Schiele on banjo make up the band, which kicks off tonight's show.