Bill Bynum

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Bynum and his band (Dave Mosher on bass, Dave Keeney on dobro, and the luminous Lisa Case Doro on fiddle) played and sang masterfully all night long, but with an unspoken agreement to place the soul of the song front and center.

I guess there's a place for thousands of fancy notes. In fact, it's safe to say that I like thousands of fancy notes as well as the next bluegrass fan. I have even been known to holler "Whoo" at blistering solos. But for me, there's nothing like the soul of a song, served up three-part and high-lonesome. And this band seems to agree.

Bynum's parents came from Arkansas to the Detroit area in the 1940s; Bill and his brothers and sisters grew up listening to artists like Johnny Cash and Buck Owens on Detroit's country station, the "Big D," on an old AM radio. Music's been a big part of his life ever since, but he really got serious about writing and performing about eight years ago. When Bynum sings, he throws his entire body into each tensile, spot-on note. He's a powerful rhythm guitar player.

Apparently, he's also a financial planner, though this was not evident during the performance.