After ten years on the road and five albums, Jackstraw is a Northwest
institution. This coal-fired Portland quartet plays the kind of music
as deep and old as the silt washing out of a defunct Appalachian strip
mine. Most of the time it’s bluegrass, but not always. As often as the
boys rip through a Stanley Brothers chestnut, they tap into their own
deep collection of originals, swerve into honky-tonk or barn-burn a
rock ‘n roll classic. Throughout the band’s history, critics have been
quick to praise their energy and speed, often drawing comparisons to
punk music. It’s true, Jackstraw does play fast. But the band never
replaces musical depth and feeling with showmanship.