Taking a debut turn on the Freight stage tonight, Nell Robinson & Red Level offer an evening of classic bluegrass in the Bill Monroe/Stanley Brothers tradition, along with enough country and modern folk tunes to create a lively union of old-time spirits and contemporary sensibilities.

Backing Nell's great vocals are a group of musicians with impeccable bluegrass credentials: Red Level features Jacob Groopman (Lost Coast) on guitar, Brian Judd (who cut his teeth opening shows for Doc & Merle Watson some 30 years ago) on mandolin, and Andrew Conklin (the Mountain Boys, Lost Coast) on bass. Sitting in tonight on banjo is Jonathan Schiele, familiar to Bay Area bluegrass fans from the groups Highway One and the David Thom Band.

The Mountain Boys are a hot new acoustic trio featuring guitar, mandolin, bass and tight harmony vocals. The band is made up of modern players obsessed with the aesthetics of early bluegrass. The trio interprets a wide range of material from old-time fiddle tunes to classic bluegrass standards in a contemporary way. The eclectic sounds of the trio have been turning heads across the Bay Area since Fall 2006.