Krugers Play Own Brand of Bluegrass

Swiss Jens Kruger sat with Bill Monroe.
In 1982, the 19-year-old, would-be-bluegrasser cherished each priceless word spoken and music note played from the father of bluegrass while spending the summer with him.
Now with Uwe on guitar and classically trained Joel Landsberg on bass, The Kruger Brothers have carved quite an avid audience for their music.
See the trio when they headline the monthly Song of the Mountains on Sept. 5 at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Va. The Krugers join a stellar bill that includes the legendary Paul Williams and the Victory Trio and the marvelous Barry Scott and Second Wind.
“This is our second time on Song of the Mountains,” said Landsberg by phone from North Carolina on Tuesday morning. “We were on in June of ’08. We got feedback and e-mail from all over the country about how wonderful that was. Song of the Mountains is a wonderful vehicle to be heard all over the country.”
But let’s go back to Monroe’s home in 1982. Much like a prospective painter would have clung to Picasso for golden words of wisdom and advice, so too did the banjo-playing Jens Kruger cling to Monroe.
“One evening, Jens was sitting around with Bill Monroe, eating ice cream and talking about bluegrass,” Landsberg said. “Bill said, ‘Jens, what do you want to do?’ Jens said, ‘I want to play bluegrass just like you do.’ Bill said, ‘No, no, don’t do that. You’re not from Kentucky. Do what you do.’ ”
Kruger listened.
He returned to his home in Switzerland. With his brother Uwe, they played in and toured with bluegrass bands throughout Europe. Skills honed gradually.
But why, one may wonder, would a pair of Swiss brothers want to and be able to play something as American as bluegrass.
Simple, Landsberg said.
“American music is a world music,” he said. “The GIs brought it overseas during the 1940s and ’50s. Also, (the Krugers’) dad studied music in the States in the ’50s. When he went back to Switzerland, he brought a load of music from the States with him.”
Thanks to their father, the Kruger brothers heard a mountain of American music. They were exposed to bluegrass records from Bill Monroe and Flatt & Scruggs, but also saloon pop from Tony Bennett, rock from Elvis Presley, blues and so on.
Perhaps that in part explains the current sound of The Kruger Brothers, who moved to America in 1997.
“We don’t do bluegrass,” Landsberg said. “It’s kind of hard to label. It’s Kruger Brothers music. You can’t really pigeonhole it. It’s nice music for nice people.”
Indeed.
Evidenced via their 11 albums, including their latest “Between the Notes,” The Kruger Brothers feature a sound with a folk base. Elements of bluegrass, blues, country, jazz and even classical filter among their easy-on-the-ears notes.
“It’s been developing over the past 20 years, and it’s still developing,” Landsberg said. “Jens is a constant font of music. It’s developed like a good marriage does.”

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He may be reached at fea-tures@bristolnews.com.

IF YOU GO
What: Song of the Mountains
Who: The Kruger Brothers, Paul Williams and The Victory Trio, Barry Scott and Second Wind, and Wise Old River
When: Sept. 5, 7 p.m.
Where: Lincoln Theatre, 117 E. Main St., Marion, Va.
Admission: $15
Info: (276) 783-6093
Web, audio and video: www.krugerbrothers.com
Also: www.songofthemountains.org