It might be a bit early to start making such predictions, but I'll go out on a limb and say that last night's bill at B.B. King's will end up being one of the great nights out of 2010. It was one of those impossible nights that started out on an already-high note - and then just kept getting better. 

 
First, there was Sarah Jarosz: a singer-songwriter from Austin who took the stage all by herself. Not only did she prove herself to be a powerful, emotional singer, she was a wizard at no less than four instruments: banjo, mandolin, acoustic and archtop guitars. She was also adorably sweet and charming as she told everyone how "thrilled and honored" she was to be nominated for a Grammy for her instrumental number "Mansinneedof," off her debut album Song Up In Her Head; she'll be traveling to L.A. for the ceremony later this month. As it turns out, she'll have to skip class to do so: Sarah is currently enrolled as a freshman at the New England Conservatory in Boston, having graduated high school just last year. Wow: with kids this talented coming out, the future of acoustic music is bright, indeed.

 
Next was a former prodigy, Marty Stuart, who got his start playing mandolin and guitar with Lester Flatt's band when he was only 12. He moved on from there to join Johnny Cash's band when he was 21, staying with him for five years before branching out on his own. Since then, Stuart has seen his share of ups and downs (not unlike Bad Blake), but at 51, he's still very much a vital presence at the center of country music's beating heart. Last night, he played a mix of originals and standards with his band the Fabulous Superlatives, whose sparkling turquoise suits looked like they were pulled straight out of the Opry's wardrobe closet. (Stuart owns one of the world's largest collections of country memorabilia, including vintage Nudie suits.) 

 
Stuart currently lives in Hendersonville, TN with his wife, country star Connie Smith. Stuart told us how he used to be next-door neighbors with Cash, and would often walk over to have a cup of coffee with him and June. Roy Orbison also used to live on the block until his teenage suns tragically burned down their house in 1968 while Orbison was away on tour. Cash bought the property from Orbison and turned it into an orchard; Stuart now runs the orchard as a memorial to both of his friends. He told us he wrote his tribute to Cash, "Dark Bird," after spotting some crows in the orchard that he thought "dressed like Johnny." As Stuart sang the slow, moving ballad, you could almost feel Johnny's ghost hovering among the lounge tables.  

 
On an average night, that would have been more than enough to satisfy even the most jaded concertgoer. But, after a short break, Del McCoury and his band came onstage to jam their world-class brand of bluegrass. McCoury, 70, can trace his bluegrass lineage all the way back to 1963, when he was hired to sing lead vocals with Bill Monroe's band. These days, he and his band (which includes both his sons Rob and Ronnie) can be found touring all over the country, from traditional bluegrass venues to big-time festivals like Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. (He even hosts his own festivel, DelFest, each May in Cumberland, MD.) 

 
 Then, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band made their way onstage to play a set of their own. The band, which formed in 1961, is generally regarded as the standard bearer of  traditional New Orleans jazz, and has on its roster both old timers (like Charlie Gabriel on clarinet and Rickie Monie on piano) and young lions like Sousaphone player Ben Jaffee, who's taken over the directorship of Preservation Hall from his dad, founding director Allan Jaffee. Before long, the whole room was dancing in their seats like a Mardi Gras Second Line, which more than made up for not making it to the hall when I was in NOLA the week before last. 

 
Finally, Del and his band joined the Preservation Hall Band onstage, in one of the most inspired musical summits I've ever witnessed. Instead of being a clash of musical styles, the mix of strings, brass and percussion was like a great roots music symphony, worthy of any great concert hall. Word is that McCoury's band will appear on a new Preservation Hall album of collaborations, set to be released on Feb. 16 - otherwise known as Fat Tuesday. After the 2005 tragedy of Katrina - which closed the hall for 8 months and destroyed many of the musician's homes - it should serve as a worthy reminder not only of music's ability to reach across the aisle, but of its' unparalleled ability to renew and restore. (More pics on view at the Fan Page.)