I just discovered Ruben and Matt and The Truffle Valley Boys for myself earlier this year. I fell in love immediately, and posted videos of their various iterations.

But why? Why love a band that copies a sound and a moment in time when there’s some good, modern bluegrass being made?

Because these guys, unlike their Appalachian counterparts, are under no pressure to keep things trad for fear of what their dead uncle, their dear old mother, or the ghost of Bill Monroe might think.

No, The Truffle Valley Boys, who hail from Italy, play this music for the love of it. That, I think, is something special, and worthy of attention from any serious bluegrass fan.

Here are Ruben and Matt and The Truffle Valley Boys with a tune made famous by Vern and Ray, “The Touch Of God’s Hand”.

I only stumbled across this band yesterday, and they just knocked me out.

These guys have everything that a fan of traditional bluegrass could want: assertive picking, playing on top of the beat, yearning trio harmonies, and that high lonesome sound.

The only things they’re missing are the hats and ties, and that’s only because this video is set in their rehearsal space. The traditional suits, hats and ties are this band’s customary stage attire.

They even have the twangy accents, which is funny, because they hail from northern Italy.

Ladies and gentlemen, Ruben and Matt and The Truffle Valley Boys with “I Don’t Mind”.

Keeping Trad Fresh

How do you keep trad fresh?

One way is to unleash your inner musicologist, and find great but rarely-heard tunes. If the original artist is as unknown as the tune, you get major bonus points.

With this track, mandolinist Matteo Ringressi has done both.

Ringressi is one of the most knowledgeable bluegrass folks around – a walking encyclopedia of bluegrass history. Thanks to Matt’s tireless work, his band, Ruben and Matt and The Truffle Valley Boys, have a traditional sound that’s always new and exciting. Their passion for the music helps, too.

Here they are with a song that was originally recorded by The Murphy Brothers (?!? – see what I mean?) way back in 1951 – “You’ll Always Be My Blue-Eyed Darling”.

I have waxed rhapsodic in other posts about Ruben and Matt and The Truffle Valley Boys, the Italian bluegrass outfit that brings creativity, authenticity, and passion to the traditional bluegrass repertoire. This concert comes from back in the days when they were just Ruben and Matt, without a backing band.

This is the most powerful duo I think I’ve ever seen. Matt is a utility player of astonishing skill; he handles mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and guitar with equal facility. Ruben’s rhythm guitar sound is fat and rich, and full of bluegrass drive.

The standouts of this set include an imaginative re-working of “Dream Of A Miner’s Child”; Weary Lonesome Blues; Wish I  Was A Mole In the Ground; and yearning versions of two gospel standards – “If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again” and “Anchored In Love Divine”.