FEELING BLUEGRASS

It’s not every day that a bluegrass musician finds crossover success in the world of Top 40 country music. But with 10 Grammy awards to their credit, Alison Krauss and Union Station have made the transition seamless.

Krauss recorded her first album at age 15 and has been on a rocket to stardom ever since. With a sweet voice and big-time fiddle chops, she has guided Union Station into the spotlight as one of the biggest country success stories in recent years.

The band will release its ninth album on Rounder Records later this summer, but in the meantime, it will be on the road trying to grow its fan base.

Portland is lucky enough to be one of those tour stops this year as Alison Krauss and Union Station will play at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. The show will go on at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24.

The band has achieved critical and commercial success with hits such as “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You,” “Looking In the Eyes of Love,” and Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing At All.” The band also provided several songs for the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack, a film fueled by strong tunes.

Tickets cost $27.50 and are available through Porttix, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, 842-0800, or porttix.com.

THE JAZZ SINGERS

Long holiday weekends tend to be a little more rock ‘n’ roll than anything. But that doesn’t mean they have to be.

Labor Day weekend, for example, could be a little more mellow. Say, how about a little jazz for once?

The second annual Key Maine Jazz Festival will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 2 throughout Portland.

The event will feature some of the world’s top musicians, a good deal of local talent and a complement of Maine’s top teens.

The event begins Thursday evening as trumpeter Tiger Okoshi joins the Mark Kleinhaut Trio for a jazz blowout at the Eastland Park Ballroom. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a buffet and cash bar. The concert will kickoff at 8 p.m.

Other featured performers include: Cleo Laine and John Dankworth; The Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, which one a Grammy award in 1999; Jimmy Heath, Sam Sherry and Ursa Major; the Key Maine Jazz Festival All-Stars under the direction of Gil Donatelli; Groove Collective, Addison Groove Project; Mori Stylez; The Tom Snow Trio; The Chris Neville Trio; Fretwater; Steve Grover Quartet; van Voorst Jazz Quintet; The Reeves/Oberholtzer Quintet; and the Tony Boffa School of Contemporary Music Advanced Jazz Sextet.

If that’s not a weekend of cool, what is?

Weekend passes and individual concert tickets for the weekend are available through PortTix at Merrill Auditorium by calling 842-0800. For more information, log on to www.mainejazzfestival.org, or call 883-3168.

THEY’RE THE MEN

So you want more metal in your diet? Just look to the pioneers that made everything possible.

You don’t think old guys can still rock? Well, “You’ve got another thing comin’.”

The band that taught you “Breakin’ the Law” can be fun, Judas Priest, will be joined by special guests Anthrax at the Orpheum Theater in Boston.

The bands play as heavy as the law will allow, if not more. They still know how to bring that knock-down, drag-out style to the stage, and tickets are only $28.50. You think Metallica will let you in their arena for that much?

To quote Jerry Seinfeld, “Not bloody likely!”

Tickets are on sale now at The Orpheum Theatre box office. To order, call (617) 228-6000 or (508) 931-2000 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.

– BY MATTHEW PAUL