Artists

Urban Renewal Bluegrass plays the hard-driving music you expect from bluegrass, plus engaging adaptations from the worlds of pop, country and jazz. The group has diverse backgrounds in music. Banjoist/vocalist Phil Nusbaum is the radio voice of bluegrass on KBEM-FM (88.5), the host of Bluegrass Saturday Morning. Guitarist/vocalist Ed Munafo is a music educator who has worked as a jazz educator, music club manager and has sung in a jazz choir. Bassist/vocalist Karen Van Norman is a converted trombonist. Mark Kreitzer is a German instructor and piano who has played with about every Twin Cities bluegrass group. On the CD, the band plays a wide swath of American music with style and verve.