This summer, Dierks Bentley will release Up On the Ridge.  Different from Dierks’ latest studio projects, Up On the Ridge explores Dierks Bentley’s bluegrass roots.   Much more than just a bluegrass concept album with guests, Up On The Ridge features some of the finest acoustic musicians in the world, including the Del McCoury Band and a magical new musical partnership with Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers. The disc also features a number of vocal and instrumental contributions ranging from Alison Krauss and Miranda Lambert to Tim O’Brien and Sam Bush, among many others.

“This album won’t come as a surprise to my hard core fans,” says Bentley. “They’ve asked me: ‘when are you going to make a bluegrass record?’ And I was just waiting for the right time.” So with a grueling tour behind him, Bentley felt liberated to pursue the project. And for his career home, Capitol Nashville, Up On The Ridge represents a rare and exciting opportunity to capture an artist working entirely from the heart.

“I didn’t want this to be ‘Dierks Bentley and friends’ or a ‘Dierks does bluegrass’ kind of album. I wanted each song to have something special about it, and in the end I think each song really does have its own thing going on.”

However, don’t be fooled by the genre, Dierks is confident the album will hit a wide audience.

It’s my version of bluegrass music,” he says. “It’s not just banjos cranked up to eleven. It throws out a big net.”

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