When anyone argues who the greatest mandolin player might be, I respond simply, “Sierra Hull is the best,” and there is rarely any pushback. Rather than showcasing the intensity of many at the top of their game, Hull has a level of artistry and skill — as singer, songwriter and instrumentalist — that comes from joy, which shows up in every note of her diverse portfolio. Her most recent EP, the concerto The Movements, blends classical structure with newgrass sensibilities. Her past collaborators range from Sturgill Simpson to Dolly Parton. Her jam-band credentials include work with the Allman Betts Family Revival, Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s Billy and the Kids and the Power Station era of Cory Wong. Just for fun, track down the Wong rehearsal video — you’ll be as stunned as the band was with her improvisational brilliance. Hull nonetheless maintains her mastery of traditional bluegrass, as shown by her duet with Billy Strings on a cover of Bill Monroe’s “Midnight on the Stormy Deep” for Austin City Limits’ 50th anniversary celebration. Even though much of her work probably isn’t technically bluegrass, as Hull pointed out at a recent Country Music Hall of Fame Musician Spotlight event, it’s a mandolin — it’s always going to sound like bluegrass. Here’s a chance to see what that means.
7:30 p.m. at the Ryman
116 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
