A Musical Biography Told with a Song and a Banjo

Release Date: January 30 2026
Asheville, NC

Award-winning banjoist, singer, songwriter, and composer Rudy Cortese presents Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue, a self-titled album that weaves together traditional bluegrass drive, melodic depth, and deeply personal storytelling. Built from lived experience more than nostalgia, the album reflects a lifetime of musical exploration and hard-earned perspective.

Originally from Cortland, NY, shaped by decades in Arizona, and now based in Asheville, NC, Cortese is a five-time Four Corners States Banjo Champion and Arizona State Banjo Champion. His playing is both fearless and controlled, equally comfortable with blistering tempos and quiet, reflective passages. On Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue, that range is fully on display.

The core group features Cortese on banjo and vocals, joined by vocalist and tenor guitarist Elizabeth Kronlage, whose harmonies add warmth and lift throughout the record. The studio lineup is rounded out by legendary bassist Tim Surrett (of Balsam Range), providing a rock-solid, deeply musical low end, and award-winning multi-instrumentalist David Johnson, who contributes mandolin, fiddle, resonator guitar, cello and guitar across the album. Together, they create a sound that is rooted, expansive, and emotionally direct.

Track-by-track highlights:

1. You Are My Sun
The album opens with its emotional foundation. “You Are My Sun” is a heartfelt tribute to Cortese’s son, written and revised over many years as his child grew. Musically, the track blends gentle bluegrass instrumentation with expressive harmonies, allowing the lyrics to lead. The arrangement is warm and spacious, emphasizing connection and intimacy rather than flash.

2. Long Days & Cold Nights
Written while driving through Phoenix and witnessing homelessness firsthand, this song carries a stark honesty. Its minor tonal colors and steady groove give the track weight without excess drama. The restrained banjo work and thoughtful accompaniment mirror the song’s reflective, observant nature, grounding it in lived reality rather than abstraction.

3. Booger Red
The album’s instrumental centerpiece, “Booger Red,” is a blistering, minor-key bluegrass tune inspired by the danger and thrill of rodeo bull riding. Driven by Cortese’s fiery banjo, the track gallops with urgency and precision. David Johnson’s contributions on fiddle, mandolin, resonator guitar, and guitar add shifting textures, while Tim Surrett’s bass anchors the chaos with authority. The result is a high-stakes ride that balances technical mastery with raw energy.

4. Leaving Me Blue
A hard-driving traditional-style bluegrass song, “Leaving Me Blue” leans into classic structure while delivering fresh emotion. Originally written as a slow waltz, Cortese reimagined it as an upbeat bluegrass tragedy. The song pairs lonesome lyrics with fast tempos, sharp breaks, and powerful harmonies, echoing the influence of classic bluegrass songwriting while firmly claiming its own voice.

5. Good Man
Written when Cortese was just 17 years old, “Good Man” reflects early insight and self-awareness. The song explores the idea that without changing one’s inner life, external challenges remain the same. Musically, it blends traditional bluegrass phrasing with subtle melodic twists, allowing the song’s message to unfold naturally rather than preach.

6. You Are My Sun (Extended)
Closing the album is an expanded version of the opening track, reinforcing its role as the heart of the record emphasizing that this song is not finished but continues to grow alongside the life it documents. Ending the album here brings the listener full circle, underscoring the album’s themes of continuity, growth, and connection.

Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue is more than a collection of songs. It’s a musical autobiography shaped by survival, fatherhood, heartbreak, joy, and renewal. With driving banjo, soaring harmonies, and masterful support from Tim Surrett and David Johnson, the album honors bluegrass tradition while pushing it forward through honesty and lived experience. It’s a record that doesn’t just play—it tells the truth.

ABOUT: Rudy Cortese is an award-winning banjoist, singer, songwriter, and composer whose music seamlessly fuses bluegrass, country, classical, folk, and jazz influences into a style all his own. Rudy’s Bluegrass Revue, embodies his passion for storytelling through music, featuring soaring harmonies, expressive instrumentation, all in a spirit of joy and unity. Joined by vocalist/tenor guitarist and cellist Elizabeth Kronlage and bassist Tim Comstock, the trio delivers an immersive and uplifting experience, celebrating the deep ties between music and the human heart. This group's powerful performances channel deep empathy, inviting audiences into a shared journey of life’s struggles and beauty. His original compositions capture the essence of connection—between people, their experiences, and the larger world—blending intricate banjo melodies with raw emotion.