Sound Advice
by Dr. Brett Matheson

Nathan Rogers

The Gauntlet

Borealis Records  196

Blue Highway

Some Day: The Fiftheenth Anniversary Collection

Rounder Records 11661-0633-2

Putnam Smith

Goldrush

Itchy Sabot Records  004

Jeff & Vida

Selma Chalk

Rosebank Records

Bearfoot

Doors and Windows

Compass Records  74504 2

Anchorage, Alasaka-based Bearfoot has released their fourth album with a new lead vocalist and fiddler. Odessa Jorgensen, formerly with the Biscuit Burners, joined the band in September 2008.  The band used to call themselves “Bearfoot Bluegrass Band” but have shortened things to “Bearfoot” as they explore sounds on the fringe of bluegrass. Doors and Windows includes an acoustic folk version of the Beatle’s “Don’t Let me Down,” and some slow, mellow original stuff.  Their lively take on the traditional tune “Single Girl” shows they can be true to their bluegrass roots, and their original “Good in the Kitchen” displays their vocal talent as they harmonize in boogie woogie Andrews Sister style.  My favorites on this album are “Oh My Love,” and “Before I Go” which have a folk/pop flavor.  Above all, Jorgensen’s vocals are what I like most about this album.  Her clear, emotive voice drew me in to each of these songs.  Bearfoot began nine years ago when four camp counselors (two guys and two girls) started jamming in their free time.  Doors and Windows shows how far this band has matured.

Steep Canyon Rangers

Deep in the Shade

Rebel Records 1834

The Steep Canyon Rangers were named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2006 International Bluegrass Music Awards, and my, how they’ve emerged!  After a performance with Steve Martin on David Letterman October 5th, the band embarked on a 23-city tour with Steve Martin, including an October 24th stop in Denver.  The band’s fourth album Deep in the Shade continues their impressive pattern of writing all their own music.  Banjoist Graham Sharp must be the most prolific songwriter in bluegrass today: he wrote six of the album’s 12 tracks, which makes a total of 30 songs he has written for their first four albums.  Guitar Woody Platt’s smooth voice leads this five-man ensemble in traditionally sounding bluegrass tunes. My favorites on this CD are “Nowhere to Lay Low,” and “Hollerin’ House.” These North Carolina Boys reassure me that bluegrass is alive for a new generation.  The Steep Canyon Rangers are on a steep upward slope to fame.

David Wilcox

Open Hand

What Are Records

I’ve been a big fan of David Wilcox for years, and was thrilled to hear him live in Colorado Springs at a BRAS sponsored concert several years (too long!) ago.  David’s latest CD Open Hand was recorded start to finish in seven days on analog tape with three other musicians gathered around for a “live” sound.  Minimal overdubs or editing was done.  David describes the making of this album as a somewhat spiritual experience for him.  “My passion for getting these songs recorded with all of my heart and all of my voice influenced thousands of small decisions, so that everything mattered and all of me was required.  I felt these songs come through in the moment as if my soul were cracked open. You can hear it in my voice.”  Open Hand is his 16th release and is vintage David Wilcox.  His soothing, beautiful voice, and his intelligent lyrics about human experience characterize this gifted poet/artist.

Truckstop Honeymoon

Great Big Family

Squirrel Records 1054

Katie Euliss and Mike West are a married couple from Lawrence, Kansas who play what a New Orleans newspaper called “a barnstorming punk rock take on vaudeville banjo and bluegrass music.”   You might compare them with Split Lip Rayfield, but a sweeter, gentler version.  Great Big Family, their fifth album, finds these two multi instrumentalists joined by other musicians on a pot pouri of original Americana tunes, some poignant, more humorous.  In “Mardi Gras in Kansas,” the New Orleans-raised Euliss laments, while dressing in her beads and tutu, that people in Kansas are oblivious to Mardi Gras Day that was so much a part of her upbringing.  In the humorous “Sinner’s Prayer” West composes lines for a rascal’s funeral: “I hope you have ‘em fooled in heaven like you had ‘em fooled on earth.” The title track has Dixieland jazz trombone accompaniment to the couple’s celebration of their three kids, and the joy of “having a great big family, like them old photographs you see.”  To read the raves reviews about their live shows, I’m hoping this Kansas couple makes a stop on the Black Forest Community Center stage someday soon..

Claire Lynch

Whatcha Gonna Do

Rounder 011661060623

Claire Lynch has been around bluegrass circles for a long time.  Of her latest release she says, “I am out right now playing the best music of my career with the best band of my career.”  The Atlanta Journal Constitution described Claire thusly: “She’s got the interpretive skills of Linda Ronstadt, the clear and pure voice of Emmylou Harris, and the bluegrass soul of Dolly Parton.”  Lynch’s voice is indeed sweet and distinctive on these twelve tracks by contemporary writers, including four that she wrote herself.  My favorite tune is “Highway” in which she compares herself to a highway, “not knowing where it’s going.” “Highway” speaks about heartbreak turning into a journey of endless freedom.   Another highlight is “Mockingbird’s Voice,” a beautiful but sad tune about an unfaithful lover.  Claire’s elegant voice is supported by Mark Schatz on bass and clawhammer banjo, Jason Thomas on mandolin and fiddle, and Jim Hurst on guitar and 5-string banjo. Claire Lynch is worth discovering.

Chris Pandolfi

Looking Glass

Sugar Hill 4056

Chris Pandolfi is the talented banjo player for the bluegrass super group the Infamous Stringdusters. Looking Glass is his second solo album (The Handoff was released in 2003).  Chris grew up in New York, and after discovering the music of Bela Fleck, took up the banjo in High School. He took lessons from banjo greats Tony Trischka and Bill Evans, and was eventually admitted as the first ever banjo principal to the Berklee College of Music.  Looking Glass is an entirely instrumental album that reminded me of Bela Fleck’s Drive released in 1988.  The tunes are strongly rooted in bluegrass but showcase complex, melodic patterns.  Chris Eldridge, Matt Flinner, Byron House, and other Nashville greats provide a full bluegrass band embellishment of these eleven songs that Chris has been stockpiling since 2004.  This CD will appeal to lovers of progressive instrumental bluegrass, especially banjo players.

Kieren Kane

Somewhere Beyond the Roses

Compass Records  7 4518 2

Trust me on this one.  Kieran Kane has created the most interesting roots album of 2009 with Somewhere Beyond the Roses.  Kane, a veteran folk musician who founded the critically acclaimed Dead Reckoning record label, said “I’ve made somewhere between 12-15 albums and this is the album I’ve always wanted to make—I love this record.”  Kane has combined the sound of his C-tuned banjo, a baritone sax (Deanna Varagona), electric guitar (Richard Bennett), and drums (son, Lucas Kane) to create a textured, earthy sound that is unlike anything I’ve heard before.  Kane sings about an unforgiving lover in “Why Can’t You,” about the potential pain of love in “Unfaithful Heart,” and about being a road-weary musician in “More To It Than This.”  Kane’s raw lyrics are deceptively simple, but full of astute observations about life.  His tendency toward repeated phrases gives his songs a mesmerizing quality.  The instrumentation emphasizes the interesting counterpoint between Kane’s simple banjo playing and Varagona’s baritone sax.  I really enjoyed this interesting combination of sounds and recommend this CD highly.

Tony Rice

Night Flyer: The Singer Songwriter Collection

Rounder 116-11619-2

Tony Rice is a legend in acoustic music circles. For forty years he has stretched the boundaries of bluegrass flat-pick guitar playing into “newgrass,” jazz, and “dawg” directions. He is admired both for his remarkable picking and his soul bearing singing. Rounder has recently culled his 20+ Rounder albums and released a seventeen-song collection of some his masterpieces. If you aren’t familiar with Tony’s emotional voice and exquisite guitar playing, this CD is an excellent introduction. His interpretation of songs by Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Norman Blake, and Mary Chapin Carpenter are featured on this collection, as well as several of his originals. What makes this collection all the more special is that in recent years Tony has been plagued with dysphonia, a condition of the vocal chords, which has robbed him of his singing voice. I first heard Tony in concert in 1985 and have followed his career ever since. This CD brought back wonderful memories of his impressive career.

Spring Creek

Way Up On a Mountain

Rebel Records 1832

Lyons, Colorado-based Spring Creek won the 2007 band contest at both Telluride and Rockygrass, the first band ever to do so. After producing two independent albums, the band signed with Rebel Records and just released their best recording yet. Way Up on a Mountain is a mixture of original songs and borrowed contemporary tunes played in a traditional bluegrass style. All four band members take a turn on lead vocals, but it is Jessica Smith’s voice that most endears me. Born in a family of traditional shape note singers in a small Texas town, Jessica’s passion for the music seems genuine, and her voice has an authentic old-time character. My favorites on the album are “Tangled in the Pines,” “Another Lonesome Night My Dear,” and “My Love is Way Up On a Mountain.”

Jeremy Garrett

I Am a Stranger

Sugar Hill Records 4054

The Infamous Stringdusters are a six-man bluegrass Super Group, so bursting with talent that literally every band member has released solo albums to keep up with their prolific songwriting. Jeremy Garrett, the band’s fiddler and vocalist has released his first solo project I Am a Stranger. The first two songs on the album won me over. “I Am a Stranger” which Garrett wrote with his dad, explores how people find the meaning of life whether behind a plow, sailing the high seas, or by looking into an infant’s face. “Echoes of Goodbye” is a driving bluegrass tune he wrote in the style of Bill Monroe with harmony vocals supplied by Jamie Dailey and Josh Williams. Garrett explores a texture of different tunes on this album. “Y2K” is a rowdy instrumental he wrote in a cabin in his home state of Idaho. There are also some softer tunes like “Give It Up” and “Peace King” as well as the mournful “The Fields of My Mind” played in an open tuning.

Finders and Youngberg

Keep Your Suitcase Packed

Neighborly Records, findersandyoungberg.com

Married couples Mike and Amy Finders and Aaron and Erin Youngberg recorded a nice CD of western music during two weeklong sessions at Aaron Youngberg’s recording studio in Fort Collins in 2008. You may have caught them when they played at Pueblo’s Bluegrass on the River Festival. With Mike on guitar, Amy on mandolin, Erin on bass, and Aaron trading off between banjo and pedal steel, the quartet creates an authentic old-time sound that range from the bluegrassy “Go Ahead and Leave” to the bluesy “Ball and Chain Blues” and “Broke Down Daddy Blues.” Eleven of the twelve songs on Keep Your Suitcase Packed are original compositions but sound as if they could have been written one hundred years ago. The songs of these talented musicians have an understated simplicity that I found authentic and heartfelt.

Leela and Ellie Grace

Where the Waters Run

Grace Family Music

Sisters Leela and Ellie Grace grew up immersed in folk music. Their parents Paul and Win Grace were professionals on the folk music circuit, and the girls joined in at an early age. Where the Waters Run, the sister’s second album, showcases their writing skills and harmonious voices on eleven gentle tracks of folk music expressing love, protest, and thanksgiving. Between them, the girls play guitar, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle. I especially enjoyed Leela’s “Wrap Myself in You,” Ellie’s “Only For You” and their rendition of the traditional “Singing Bird.” This is a refreshing collection of folk tunes from two talented sisters.

Darrell Scott

Madern Hymns

Appleseed Recordings 1111

Darrell Scott is a multi-talented songwriter and solo artist in great demand in Nashville. More than 75 country artists have recorded his songs, and in 2007 he penned the Americana Song of the Year, “Hank Williams’ Ghost”, and was named Songwriter of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).  So it seemed strange that such a talented songwriter would produce an album strictly of covers.  But what a delightful collection this is.  Scott  explains that his mission on Modern Hymns was to “showcase songs and artists whose music shook me as a kid. These songs speak to the human condition. These songs are the Truth.”  Scott’s take on Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going” with Del McCoury’s harmonizing high tenor is one of my favorites on the album, and has a completely different feeling than a version Tony Rice recorded years ago.  Scott takes Paul Simon’s 1973 hit “American Tune” (which Scott considers one of the greatest songs of our time) and gives it a fresh, bluegrassy arrangement.  Another favorite is Bob Dylan’s “I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)” which Scott sings with raw, aching emotion to the accompaniment of banjo, guitar, and fiddle.  Darrell’s earthy, expressive voice will captivate you as you listen to his fresh treatment of songs by Gordon Lightfoot, John Hartford, and Kris Kristofferson to name a few.   Each of the twelve songs on the album is a gem, and Scott’s reverence for their timeless appeal warrants their apt title Modern Hymns.

The Bittersweets

Goodnight, San Francisco

Compass Records 7 4486 2

Goodnight, San Francisco is the second album of Chris Meyers and Hannah Prater, a duo that became a sensation in San Francisco folk circles after their first album was released in 2006. The duo moved to Nashville and signed with Compass records and just produced Goodnight, San Francisco showcasing twelve original tunes. I guess I’d describe there sound as alternative folk rock with a pop flavor. No matter what you call it, the album is excellent. Prater has an alluring, emotive voice that won me over on my first listen. Meyer’s guitar and piano coupled with supporting musicians on drums, pedal steel, and organ give them a full band sound. My favorite tunes on the album are the soulful love song “Blue,” the country rock tune “Birmingham,” and the mournful lament “When the War is Over” which asks the question “When the war is over/Is it ever over?” The Bittersweets live up to their name, singing songs that capture the paradoxes of life, happy and sad, with thought-provoking lyrics. The Bittersweets are one of my sweet discoveries of 2009.

Steve Martin

The Crow

Available only at Amazon.com

This CD is Steve Martin’s banjo magnum opus. Most known as a comic actor, Martin is a Renaissance Man who has written books and screenplays, directed movies, and coincidentally, played the five string banjo for most of his life. In the liner notes, Martin states “I have loved the banjo my whole life, and this album of fourteen compositions is the result of forty-five years of playing seriously, as well as playing around. I can’t imagine the vacancy I would have had in my life without this peculiar instrument running through it.” Martin spared no expense in gathering musicians to aid him in this eclectic collection of original compositions which he calls “the most expensive banjo album in the history of the universe and that includes possible alternative universes, too.” The album begins with a poignant and perhaps autobiographical “Daddy Played the Banjo” with vocals supplied by Tim O’Brien. “Pretty Flowers” is a Love Song Waltz with duet vocals by Vince Gill and Dolly Parton. Martin himself takes the vocal duties only once on the CD on “Late for School,” a galloping clawhammer-style tune to which Martin added humorous lyrics about a boy racing to school only to realize upon arriving that it is Saturday. Most of the tunes are instrumentals, with top-notch accompaniment by some of the best bluegrass musicians in Nashville. For anyone who’s a fan of Steve Martin or is a banjo player (and I am both) this album will be a delight. The enclosed 12-page glossy booklet describing his own life with the banjo and the development of each tune deepened my appreciation for this Hollywood artist who has had one foot in Bluegrass for a long time.

Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson

Rattlin' Bones

Sugar Hill Records 3038

The Green Fields of America

The Green Fields of America

Compass Records 7-4495-2

Beoga

The Incident

Compass Records 7-4499-2

Dry Branch Fire Squad

Echoes of the Mountains

Rounder Records 11661-0574-2

Jason Bennett

Slow It Down, Take a Step Back

Eleven Mile Records

Carrie Hassler & Hard Rain

CHHR2

Rural Rhythm Records 1037

Alison Krauss has Union Station. Rhonda Vincent has The Rage. Carrie Hassler has Hard Rain. On this sophomore effort, Carrie Hassler delivers another outstanding album of hard driving bluegrass music fueled by her five-man powerband of Travis Anderson, Josh Miller, Jamie Harper, and identical twins Keith and Kevin McKinnon. Most female bluegrass frontwomen have a fiddle, mandolin, or banjo in their hand, but Hassler has only one instrument—her voice. She sings with power and clarity and impressive range on this twelve-song set. Banjoist Josh Miller has emerged as an impressive songwriter, credited with eight of the twelve songs on CHHR2. The album includes a bluegrass version of the 1973 Bob Seger hit “Turn the Page” and Mark Nesler’s “Country Song” that could easily make CMT’s top charts thanks to a little added drums and organ. Violin virtuoso Jim Van Cleve produced this album and his fiddling embellishes the sound throughout. Carrie and her Hard Rain boys play an exciting, energetic brand of bluegrass. My forecast is for increasing and much appreciated Hard Rain.

New Found Road

Life in a Song

Rounder Records 11661-0576-2

Rounder Records doesn’t sign up just any bluegrass band to their label. So I always take notice when new artists appear under the Rounder banner. New Found Road is a tight quartet that has produced three albums independently before signing on to Rounder for Life in a Song. New Found Road started as a gospel bluegrass band but now plays a full repertoire of bluegrass and newgrass styles showcased on this excellent album. The songs range from a bluegrass version of the traditional Irish tune “Handsome Molly,” a hard-edged “I Miss You” (which reminds me of the “modern bluegrass” sound of Cadillac Sky), to the very traditional “A Picture of Your Mother.” And yes, there’s a gospel song—“When I Get Home,” and an instrumental. Theses guys do it all. A refreshing new find.

Lonesome River Band

No Turning Back

Rural Rhythm Records 1040

The Lonesome River Band celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2007 and has become an institutional name in bluegrass much like The Country Gentlemen or the Seldom Scene. Banjo master Sammy Shelor is the only remaining member from the 1990 ensemble that included Dan Tyminski (now with Alison Krauss), and Ronnie Bowman (now a producer and solo artist). This band has a history of catapulting talented musicians to create their own bands after spending a few years with LRB. Kenny Smith and Don Rigsby are a couple of examples. Their latest release is vintage LRB bluegrass led by Shelor’s driving metronomic banjo talent. The current members include guitarist and vocalist Brandon Rickman who wrote four of the songs on No Turning Back. My favorite cuts on this album are “Like a Train Needs a Track,” “Wires and Wood,” and “Dime Store Rings.” The Lonesome River Band, despite its personnel changes, has continued a tradition of putting out solid bluegrass albums.

Williams & Clark Expedition

Brand New Set of Blues

AcoustiBlue Records 0465

This album highlights the writing talent of Blake Williams, a professional bluegrass musician for 34 years. Nine of the thirteen tracks were written by Williams, a multi-instrumentalist who played with Lester Flatt, and is known for his comedic patter in live performance. Williams assembled mandolinist Bobby Clark whose credits include the National Mandolin Championship and two solo albums, Wayne Southards who provides rhythm guitar and vocals, and Kimberly Williams who plays bass and also sings lead vocals. The songs are gentle and thoughtful and performed in a fairly traditional style. I especially liked “In my Heart” and “Love is Coming to a Heart Near You.”

Rhonda Vincent

Good Thing Going

Rounder Records 11661-0592-2

The success of pop musicians seems to rely as much upon looks as talent. Rhonda Vincent, one of the biggest commercial acts in bluegrass, hasn’t lost sight of that. Her latest CD, Good Thing Going, has no less than seven dreamy photographs of her laying in the grass or at poolside in sequined dresses clutching her mandolin. But there’s no denying that Vincent has talent. With a powerful voice and a tight ensemble accompanying her, Good Thing Going is another solid collection of bluegrass tunes and ballads that will thrill her many fans. This is a solo effort by Vincent in the sense that she has written or co-written five of the twelve songs and uses musicians other than her usual touring band The Rage. Her autobiographical title track displays the optimism this hard working and prolific bluegrass leader must sense at this stage in her career.

Cody Shuler & Pine Mountain Railroad

Pickin' Praisin' & Singin'

Rural Rhythm Records 328

Ralph Stanley

Old Time Pickin': a Clawhammer Banjo Collection

Rebel Records 752

Grass It Up

Shoot the Moon

Self-Produced

Who is the most active bluegrass band in Colorado Springs? Many argue it’s Grass It Up that plays every Wednesday at Front Range Barbecue in Old Colorado City. I heard Grass It Up for the first time when they opened for Crooked Still and enjoyed their varied mix of acoustic music. On Shoot the Moon, the trio of Shannon Carr on guitar and banjo, David Jeffrey on mandolin and guitar, and Jon Bross on bass, perform eight original tunes and three traditional ones in musical styles ranging from bluegrass to blues to folk. Danny Karpel, who enhanced their live performance, makes guest appearances on keyboards. This recording is not Nashville quality, and the vocals are a bit of a weak point on the CD, but anyone who wants to take home a nice representation of their eclectic live performances will enjoy this CD.

The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band

Live and Learn

Rebel Records 1828

Since starting their own band in 2001, husband and wife Kenny and Amanda Smith have produced four excellent albums of contemporary bluegrass and bluegrass gospel. Live and Learn is their fifth collection of tunes that vary from hard-driving bluegrass to ballads to gospel-based tunes. Amanda has this sweet, rich voice that conveys tremendous emotion in songs like “Do the Best You Can,” and “Drive That Fast.” Kenny takes up the lead singing in the great Norman Blake tune “Randall Collins” and Tim Stafford’s tune “Changing” as well as his original “Icicle Canyon.” Together Kenny and Amanda wrote the beautifully sad ballad “Words You Use” about someone deciding to leave their lover, with the chorus: “I don’t care what words you use / You never loved me, and that’s the truth / Now you say you need me, but I won’t be around / No matter what words you use.” With exceptional song selection, and talented band mates, the Smiths have produced another excellent CD.

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes III - Don't Believe

Skaggs Family Records 6989090909

I just reviewed the Cherryholmes family’s second album on Skaggs Family Records a year ago, so I was surprised how quickly they’ve turned out album #3, especially with twelve original songs! This six-member family band is one of the most exciting up-and-coming bands in bluegrass today. And to think that nine years ago none of them played an instrument! The star of the band is oldest daughter Cia Cherryholmes who fills the roles of lead vocalist, banjoist, and main composer. Indeed, Cia whom I predict will become a household name in the world of bluegrass penned seven of the songs on Don’t Believe. The CD includes driving bluegrass numbers “I Can Only Love You (So Much)” and “Don’t Believe” as well as mother Sandra’s Christmas ballad “The King as a Babe Came Down,” and the blazing instrumental “Sumatra” by B.J. Cherryholmes. Another Cia composition is “This is My Son” about a woman praying for her only son going off to war, who realizes her emotions match those of God who sent his only Son. This band is prolific and impressive and worth checking out.

Crooked Still

Still Crooked

Signature Sounds 2013

Kudos goes to Moira Theriault for bringing Crooked Still to Colorado Springs this past September 2 for a BRAS-sponsored concert at Manitou Business of Art Center. Those in attendance witnessed what the Boston Globe called “the most important folk group to emerge from Boston since the 1960s.” I spoke to Charlie Hall after the concert and he summed up their sound as “textured.” Indeed, “textured” is a good description of the beautiful sound these musicians create on the unlikely combination of banjo, bass, cello, and five-string violin. Crooked Still has a penchant for digging up old traditional tunes and creating their own fresh arrangements. Their third album Still Crooked with newcomers Tristan Clarridge on cello and Brittany Haas on 5-string violin is their best yet. Some of the tunes like “The Absentee” and “Did you Sleep Well?” are upbeat tunes played with blistering punctuation by Gregory Liszt’s banjo and Tristan’s cello. Other tunes, like “Wading Deep Waters” and “Low Down and Dirty” are haunting ballads highlighting Aoife O’Donovan’s beautiful voice that floats over the bowing and picking of strings with a hushed softness. The more I listen to this band, the more I appreciate their depth, texture, and virtuosity. I highly recommend this “alternative folk” CD.

Beth Stevens and Edge

Strong Enough

Pinecastle Records PRC 1164

Beth Stevens is a banjo player with a killer voice who has created an impressive first solo album. Beth calls her band “Edge” because it represents the type of music they play. “We’re not exactly traditional bluegrass, country, blues, or gospel, but we are just on the edge of all those genres of music,” she explains in the liner notes. Beth wrote or co-wrote half of the songs on Strong Enough which range from the driving bluegrass number “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” to the soulful “Sweet Peace,” a gospel number with four-part harmony. My favorite cut on the album is Beth’s original “New Home,” a beautiful, contemporary styled ballad about the California Gold Rush told from the perspective of a child of immigrants. Beth’s singing is strong and mature; her picking is authoritative. I think we have another leader at the cutting “edge” of bluegrass music.

The Churchmen

I'll Be Long Gone

Pinecastle Records PRC 1166

I had never heard of The Churchmen until this handsomely designed CD arrived courtesy of Pinecastle Records. With a name like “Churchmen” I figured they were a gospel bluegrass band and popped in the CD ready to hear a collection of ballads sung a cappella. When the hard-driving bluegrass gospel original “Only Yours” filled my car stereo speakers I was hooked. Then came the title track, “I’ll Be Long Gone,” a beautiful ballad with soaring harmony vocals. I knew I was listening to a talented band. Based in southern Virginia, The Churchmen have been singing bluegrass gospel since 1989 and have garnered Dove Award nominations (gospel music’s most prestigious award) in bluegrass categories twice. I’ll Be Long Gone mixes some traditional songs with several more contemporary originals and hard-driving bluegrass-style tunes to deliver an album of pleasant variety. The instrumentation is tight, the harmony vocals are as good as it gets, and the songwriting, especially by guitarist David Guthrie, is first rate. This is one of the best and distinctive bluegrass gospel albums I’ve heard.

Ryan Shupe & the Rubberband

Last Man Standing

Montage Music Group 300114

For years, Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband headlined Pueblo’s Bluegrass on the River Festival. They also played on the Black Rose stage some nine years ago to thunderous applause. If you’ve never seen these guys perform, you’ve missed one of the most entertaining bands to ever twist bluegrass into a dance-inducing folk-pop mix of guitar, banjo, violin, bass, and drums. Two years ago the band released Dream Big on Capital Records and got national airplay with the title track. This latest release on new label Montage Music Group takes the band even further toward a rock sound with eleven originals by Shupe. “Don’t Leave Me Lonely,” and “Please Be Mine” are upbeat, catchy pop songs with driving instrumentation and great harmony vocals. “Last Man Standing” and “My Life” are further forays into their fusion of bluegrass, rock, and rap. The band slows things down on “All I Need,” a love song Shupe penned for his wife. Perhaps the most interesting song on the album is “If You Could Live a Different Life,” which puts a Spanish guitar Latin beat to rather poignant lyrics about people escaping bad circumstances for a better life. Fans of this Utah-based quintet will welcome these eleven new songs by a band with a unique sound.

Jim Lauderdale

The Bluegrass Diaries

Yep Roc Records 2158

I’m always curious to check the winner of Category 43 of the Grammy awards—Best Bluegrass Album. When I checked on the 2008 Grammy winners in February, my first question was “Who the heck is Jim Lauderdale?” After twenty five years of following bluegrass, I thought I’d heard of everyone in the business. Turns out Lauderdale has been writing songs in Nashville for years, but most of his songs have been recorded by big name country stars. Lauderdale has co-written most of the songs on Diaries and sings with a twangy country-style drawl that may satisfy bluegrass and country fans alike. This would not have been my choice for best bluegrass album of the year, but it’s a decent recording. The first song on the album “This is the Last Time (I’m Ever Gonna Hurt)” is a great, rousing number that’s worth purchasing individually on iTunes.

Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein

2:10 Train

Rebel Records 1803

Mandolinist Jimmy Daudreau and guitarist Moondi Klein played together in a short-lived DC area band called Chesapeake that disbanded in the late ‘90s. Both are veterans of several bluegrass bands including the Seldom Scene, the Country Gentlemen, and the Tony Rice Unit. 2:10 Train is a series of duets featuring guitar, mandolin, lead and tenor vocals on several contemporary and traditional tunes. I liked the beautiful “High Sierra” which Moondi says “transported him” the first time he heard it performed by its author. “Sweet Sunny South” and “Black Jack Davey” are two traditional tunes they perform with crisp, delicate accompaniment. “Evening,” a swing-style tune from decades ago, is my favorite on the album. I like the simplicity of the arrangements these two musicians bring to these songs.

Karan Casey

Ships in the Forest

Compass Records 7 44762

I’ve been in love with Karan Casey’s voice since her days with the Irish super band Solas. Her fifth solo CD Ships in the Forest was recorded in her home in County Cork, Ireland with her current touring band, Caoimhin Vallely (piano), Kate Ellis (cello), and Robbie Overson (guitar). Featuring a mix of traditional and modern songs, the album is characterized by her beautiful, lilting voice against minimal instrumentation, most notably Vallely’s piano. Included is a beautiful, haunting arrangement of “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” which I now realize was the tune adapted to “The Ants Go Marching Two by Two.” Casey considers this her “most ambitious album to date” and is another example of great contemporary Irish music on Compass records.

Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill

Welcome Here Again

Green Linnet/Compass Records 1233

Several years ago I was in Washington, D.C. for a conference and was fortunate to catch a St. Patrick’s Day special concert at the Birchmere, a premiere venue for acoustic music on the east coast. Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill took the stage as the final act and I’ll never forget the experience. The entire audience sat in hushed silence as Martin played the Irish fiddle with such clarity and beauty he totally eclipsed the earlier acts. I immediately bought his 1993 recording Martin Hayes, and later bought 1995’s Under the Moon, and 1997’s The Lonesome Touch. Welcome Here Again is the duo’s first recording since a 1999 live recording. Cahill’s understated guitar provides a quiet base to Hayes’ violin on these eighteen tunes, all simple and uncomplicated but evocative and emotional. Hayes is past the point of fiddling for show. These are not tunes for dancing a jig. Hayes is only interested in entering a place where “melodies are shaped by gut responses to the feelings they evoke.”

Hank Cramer

Caledonia

You gotta admire Hank Cramer. Winthrop, Washington-based Cramer has appeared on the Black Rose Stage several times and keeps creating albums of surprising quality. Caledonia, a collection of his favorite Scottish ballads, is now his twelfth solo CD, following his CD collections of sailor songs, cowboy songs, and soldier songs, to name a few. Since my Matheson ancestors came from Scotland, I couldn’t help appreciating this collection of songs Cramer gathered on two trips to Scotland he made the past two springs. A variety of musicians join him for just the right amount of accompaniment on these 18 ballads.

The Steeldrivers

The Steeldrivers

Rounder 11771-0598-2

Pop in the Steeldriver’s self-titled debut album and you’re in for something exciting. What immediately grabs you is guitarist Chris Stapelton’s voice.  Somewhere between an east Kentucky growl and a shout, this soulful singer headlines an edgy, hard-driving bluegrass band that’s grabbing the attention of the national media.  Think of Detroit rocker Bob Seger fronting a bluegrass band and you’ll get a sense of the sound of the Steeldrivers.  But the band is more than just Stapleton.  All five band members are veteran songwriters and contribute to this eleven-track album of original songs.  Tammy Rogers’ lonesome fiddle adds dimension to each song and her harmony singing blends beautifully with Stapleton. Richard Bailey’s banjo, and Mike Henderson’s mandolin punctuate each song.  People talk a lot about “roots music” these days.  I think these guys define it.  This is blue collar, raw, earthy bluegrass.  Highly recommended. 

Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time

Took Down and Put Up

Lonesome Day Records 011

Larry Cordle grew up in eastern Kentucky with his childhood friend and neighbor, Ricky Skaggs. A practical musician, Cordle worked as a CPA by day, and played clubs at night. In 1983 Skaggs recorded Cordle’s song “Highway 40 Blues” which became the number one song in the nation, and launched both their careers. Cordle gave up his accounting job, moved to Nashville and became a full-time music writer. His songs have been recorded by the likes of Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Alan Jackson, and others. Took Down and Put Up is a solid collection of mostly Cordle originals with soulful harmony singing, and a great backup band. My favorite songs are the prison-lament ballad “The First Train Robbery,” and “Hole in the Ground,” Cordle’s tribute to coal miners. “B.Y.O.B.” stands for “bring your own blues” and perfectly demonstrates Cordle’s bluesy style. Another interesting song is “I’m a Lie” written from the perspective of ‘a lie’ as a living, breathing thing. Great songwriting distinguishes Took Down and Put Up.

The Dixie Bee-Liners

Ripe

Pinecastle Records 1163

My favorite new discovery of 2008 is the Dixie Bee-Liners.  This Abingdon, Virginia band’s sophomore album Ripe blew me away with its originality and creativity. Vocalists/guitarists Brandi Hart and Buddy Woodward have written all twelve songs on Ripe, and I’m impressed with the depth and maturity of their writing.  “Down on the Crooked Road” is a travelogue homage to Virginia’s rich bluegrass history. “Dixie Grey to Black” is a sad Civil War ballad based on a true story the band read about in the Kentucky Explorer.  “Grumble Jones” was inspired by their seeing a portrait of scowling Confederate General W.E. “Grumble” Jones hanging in the old train station in Abingdon.  “Lord, Lay Down My Ball & Chain” is a bluesy tune that started out as a “get us outta here” prayer that Brandi used to sing in the shower back in the days she lived in New York.  “Bugs in the Basement” demonstrates some nimble picking, and although I’m still trying to figure out the lyrics, I love the song! Brandi has a sultry, killer voice that rivals any other female vocalist in bluegrass today. The tongue-in-cheek liner notes instruct us that Ripe was “sweet-pick’d for freshness.”  This album is fresh indeed—and highly recommended. 

Tim Hensley

Long Monday

Rural Rhythm Records 1035

Tim Hensley has spent the past six years touring as a guitarist and harmony vocalist with Kenny Chesney, after earlier stints with Patty Loveless and Ricky Skaggs.  After Chesney’s rockin’ country shows, Hensley often sings bluegrass tunes for the band back stage.  Ultimately, Chesney decided to produce this debut album for his band mate.  Long Monday has a couple of driving bluegrass numbers—”Fox Run the Henhouse”, and “Shady Grove”—but it is his slower, acoustic tunes like “Ridin’ Out the Storm,” and “Hard Rains Lately” that I like best on this album.  In “Dear Departed”, Hensley’s voice reminds me of one of my favorite bluegrass singers Peter Rowan.  Hensley gathered some of the best musicians in Nashville to accompany his tenor voice on these eleven tracks.  This is a pleasant debut from a journeyman musician with his hand in country and bluegrass.

Andy Irvine & Donal Lunny's Mozaik

Changing Trains

Compass Records 7 4468

Mozaik is an international string extravaganza composed of Ireland’s Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, American old-time  musician Bruce Molsky, Dutch guitarist Rens van der Zalm, and Hungarian multi-instrumentalist Nikol Parov.  This collection of seven songs and three instrumentals was recorded in Budapest in 2005 after Andy Irvine envisioned an ensemble of his favorite musicians joined in a celebration of Irish, European and American folk music.  Each of these musicians is a seasoned master of several instruments and together they tackle tunes from Ireland, Romania, Bulgaria, and America.  I really like the variety on this album, and the delicate and interesting instrumentation.  Andy Irvine has a classic Irish balladeer’s voice and sings three great Irish ballads that are my favorite tunes on the album.  Credit Compass Records for once again bringing great international music to American audiences.

Interstate Cowboy

There's a Road

Ranch Ruckus Records

Interstate Cowboy is a band out of Masonville, Colorado, just outside of Ft. Collins.  I’ve really taken a liking to their new album There’s a Road.  This band’s tunes range from western swing, to old-time country, to an Elvis-sounding song “Everytime She Makes a Mistake.”  Most of the songs are written by bandleader and lead vocalist Tim Champlin who raises horses on a ranch in Masonville and is captain of the Poudre Fire Authority in Ft. Collins. Included with their originals is a great rendition of the classic folk ballad “Frankie & Johnny,” a song my mom used to sing to me as a kid.  To call Interstate Cowboy a “bar band” would be to diminish their impressive talent and creative songwriting.  I was hooked after hearing the first song on the CD: “I Got Nothin” --a rockin’ little number with drums, electric guitars, and Hammond organ.  I can’t quite pigeonhole these guys--there’s such a variety to their music—but Tim says he likes “mixing things up” and this album surely proves it.

The Billy Pilgrims

The Billy Pilgrims

Self-produced

The Billy Pilgrims are a newly formed retro country and bluegrass band from Northern Colorado, named after a Kurt Vonnegut character in Slaughterhouse Five.  Billy Pilgrim was “unstuck in time” and couldn’t help but travel from the present to the past, then back to the future again.  I guess that’s how this band feels about their music.  Drawing from tunes from Buck Owens, Hank Williams, Jimmy Martin and the like, this band goes back to country music from the 1950s and plays it with passion.  Black Rose audiences will recognize Erin Youngberg on bass, Aaron Youngberg on banjo and steel guitar from their days with Hit & Run Bluegrass.  They’ll also recognize Caleb Roberts who co-founded Open Road, now playing electric guitar as well as mandolin.  David Richey, who also toured with Hit & Run, completes the band on vocals and Dobro.

Spring Creek Bluegrass Band

Rural & Cosmic Bluegrass

Self-produced RC 2006

Spring Creek Bluegrass Band takes the stage at the Black Forest Community Center January 11 and shouldn’t be missed.  Spring Creek won the coveted band competition at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June, and thus will be invited back to play a full set at Telluride 2008.  The members of Spring Creek met at music school in Texas, but now have settled in the fertile bluegrass soil of Colorado.  We’ll be treated to yet another performance by a rising, talented band as they begin a busy touring schedule in 2008. This debut self-produced album features original songs by all four band members, as well as their arrangements of some traditional tunes and covers.  I particularly liked their rendition of Gillian Welch’s minor-toned haunting ballad “Caleb Meyer.”  Another favorite is mandolinist/fiddler Alex Johnstone’s tune “High Up in the Mountains.” 

Steep Canyon Rangers

Lovin' Pretty Women

Rebel Records 1824

The Steep Canyon Rangers are five guys from North Carolina who began playing together while students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  In 2006 they were voted Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Now with their third album as an intact band, the Rangers expand their reputation as a young bluegrass band respecting the past while writing new songs that may become “bluegrass standards” of the future.  This album of 12 tracks is almost completely original material, most written by banjo player Graham Sharp.  Graham’s writing includes songs about a “ramblin’ man,”  a guy wishing he could “make a living loving pretty women,” another guy rejecting the coal mines, a song from Moses’ mother as she places him in the basket, a blues song, and several others.  Bluegrass veteran Ronnie Bowman produced this tight, consistent album. 

Bradley Walker

Highway of Dreams

Rounder Records 11661-0581-2

Bradley Walker won male vocalist of the year at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association’s awards show and now I know why.   His debut album Highway of Dreams is an impressive display of his rich, soulful baritone singing traditional country and bluegrass songs supported by guest artists Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent, Ron Block, Cia Cherryholmes, and others.  What makes this debut all the more inspirational is the fact that Bradley was born with Muscular Dystrophy and has been in a wheelchair all his life.  He began singing at age three, when he sang “Elvira” backstage with the Oak Ridge Boys. That began a friendship that continues today.  Bradley’s voice reminds me of Randy Travis and is perfectly suited to these tunes that I would classify as mostly classic traditional country songs—not the rock-pop country stuff that dominates today’s country stations.  Bradley will also please bluegrass fans with his rendering of a couple of great banjo-driven bluegrass numbers “Payin Your Dues” and “Shoulda Took That Train.”  Bradley and his band are scheduled to play in Westcliffe, Colorado July 12th and 13th at the High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival.  

John Starling & Carolina Star

Slidin' Home

Rebel Records 1820

John Starling was one of the founding members of the legendary bluegrass band The Seldom Scene.  On Slidin’ Home he joins with other Seldom Scene originals Mike Auldridge and Tom Gray on this ten-track collection of mellow acoustic tunes drawn from sources old and new. Starling is a medical doctor who spent time in Viet Nam as a surgeon.  He has mixed a career in medicine with recurring stints as a vocalist and guitarist with Auldridge and Gray in the Seldom Scene since 1971.  Emmy Lou Harris joins the band in harmony vocals on the most beautiful track on the album, Gram Parson’s “In My Hour of Darkness.”  This is a soft, mellow collection of songs played with affection by a joyfully reunited mature band. 

Ricky Skaggs & The Whites

Salt of the Earth

Skaggs Family Records 6989050022

The Whites, who have been playing gospel bluegrass for years, consist of sisters Sharon and Cheryl and their father Buck.  Ricky Skaggs first met the Whites when he was sixteen, and then eventually married Sharon White in 1982. This CD is the first official collaboration between them.  Salt of the Earth is a gospel album of inspirational tunes about love, prayer, and Jesus--the type of music the Whites are known for.  The liner notes contain a scripture tied to each of the thirteen song’s lyrics.  Lead vocals are shared equally between Skaggs and the three Whites, and there is plenty of harmony singing.

Matt & Shannon Heaton

Fine Winter's Night

Self-produced ESL 007

Even though Christmas has passed, I’m recommending Matt and Shannon Heaton’s Fine Winter’s Night as an excellent Celtic-flavored holiday collection you’ll enjoy throughout the year.  This Boston-based husband and wife graced Black Rose’s stage in May 2007, and continue to impress me with their beautiful flute and guitar based Irish music.  The Heatons have chosen lesser known carols and songs to interpret, and added seven original tunes to create a refreshing album that shouldn’t be mistaken as just another album of common Christmas songs played in Irish style.  Put this CD of songs and instrumentals in your player for a “fine winter’s night” of lovely music indeed. 

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Carrie Hassler and Hard Rain

Rural Rhythm Records 1028

Some CDs I fall in love with on the first listen.  Such was my response to Carrie Hassler and her band Hard Rain’s self-titled debut on Rural Rhythm Records.  Carrie bridges the gap between bluegrass and country with a fresh, exciting sound that landed her a “Showcase Artist” slot at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association show, and a top ten position on Billboard’s Bluegrass charts.  “Restless State of Mind” and “Going on the Next Train” are driving straight-ahead bluegrass numbers with blistering banjo and dobro punctuation surrounding Carrie’s raw, expressive alto.  “Seven Miles from Wichita” and “Now That She’s Gone” have a country feel, but still rely on the mandolin for percussion and again highlight Carrie’s bold, emotional voice. “Sensebaugh Tunnel” is the only instrumental on the album and showcases the talents of her young, five-piece band.

My only complaint with this CD is that at just under 34 minutes it left me wanting to hear more.  Hopefully I’ll get my chance when she takes the stage at the Mid Winter Bluegrass Festival in Denver February 16. 

The Charlie Sizemore Band

Good News

Rounder 11661-0591-2

Charlie Sizemore was just seventeen when he was hired to join Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain Boys, a band he’d stay with for nine years as lead singer and guitarist.  Then he started his own band, went to college, earned a law degree, and has been out of the bluegrass world for a few years while raising his kids and practicing law in Nashville. Good News, his first album in five years, is a pleasant collection of four original Sizemore tunes and ten other songs that were all new to me. In “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart”, which Randy Travis made popular years ago, Sizemore’s mellow baritone harmonizes with his band mates in an appeal to a former lover for forgiveness:

“I feel like a stone you have picked up and thrown,

To the hard rock bottom of your heart.”

“Alison’s Band” is a tongue-in-cheek catchy tune about wanting to play in Alison Krauss’ band:

“ I want to be in Alison’s band, sing with Dan,

Listen to Flux play the dobro.

I’d even drive her bus to hear her cuss

When she’s trying to teach me the solo.

Brother Ron Block would keep me straight,

And Barry would keep me in time.

 But Ally won’t let me play in her band,

So I guess I’ll keep foolin’ with mine.”

Charlie Sizemore’s new album title, Good News, is just that—a welcome return of a talented Renaissance man.

LAU

Lightweights and Gentleman

Compass Records 74458 2

LAU has been described as “a formidable union of three of the finest and most innovative exponents of modern traditional music in Scotland today.”  Kris Drevor (guitar and vocals), Martin Green (piano accordion), and Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle) combine their talents to create a sound you won’t believe is coming from just three musicians.  This debut album begins with a monster instrumental jam piece “Hinba” that establishes their daring exploration into free-form jazz-folk.  Then the mood changes completely with “Butcher Boy”, a haunting, beautiful ballad highlighting Kris’ vocals and Aidan’s fiddle.  “Results” is an instrumental that begins with a happy melody that will have you dancing, before it detours into a minor-sounding jam session, before returning to the original melody.   These young musicians are pushing the limits of Celtic music, and if you have an ear for the progressive edge, this band will capture your attention. 

Rhonda Vincent

Beautiful Star: A Christmas Collection

Rounder 11661-0575-

Are you thinking ahead to Christmas shopping for the bluegrass lover in your life?  You might consider Rhonda Vincent’s Christmas Collection that was released in 2006.  Beautiful Star begins with “Christmas Time at Home”, an original tune by Vincent that captures the feelings of anyone returning home for Christmas.  It’s a great tune—my favorite on the album. The other eleven tracks are traditional Christmas standards.  Rhonda Vincent is considered the number two lady in bluegrass after Alison Krauss, and has one of the tightest bands in bluegrass.  This production doesn’t try to do anything overly fancy.  It’s just Rhonda’s beautiful voice singing traditional Christmas songs with acoustic accompaniment. 

Grasstowne

The Road Headin' Home

Pinecastle PRC 1158

The Road Headin’ Home is the debut album of a newly formed band anchored by bluegrass veterans Steve Gulley, Phil Leadbetter, and Alan Bibey. These guys combine for a fabulous contemporary bluegrass sound.  Steve Gulley’s lead and tenor vocals will be recognized by Mountain Heart fans.  His excellent songwriting is on display in four of the songs. Home is about a widower near the end of his life when all his children are gone and speaks in a deep way about the meaning of one’s “home”: “Home can be anywhere you are It can be a million miles away/ but it’s really not that far/ Home is just a state of mind/ And as long as he keeps it there, he can go back any time.”  It’s a beautiful tune—my favorite on the album.  One thing that impressed me about the song selection on this album is the meaningful lyrics.  If I Knew Then is a reflection on mistakes made throughout a lifetime that the singer now regrets.  That’s Not What Ships are For is a bittersweet goodbye of a father to his seventeen year-old son on the threshold of manhood, comparing his son to a ship: “A ship is safe in the harbor/ But that’s not what ships are for.”  The musicianship on this album is excellent.  Phil Leadbetter has been named IBMA Dobro player of the year, and Alan Bibey’s mandolin and lead and harmony vocals reflect his years of experience with Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out, and Blueridge.  Jason Davis on banjo and Lee Sawyer on bass complete this talented new ensemble.  

Cherryholmes

Cherryholmes II: Black and White

Skaggs Family Records 6989020182

I love family bluegrass bands.  Surely, the family that plays in a bluegrass band together, stays together.  The Arizona-based Cherryholmes family has risen to the cream of the bluegrass crop in an amazingly short period of time.  The family began playing together only after the oldest daughter Shelly Cherryholmes died of a cardiac ailment in 1999. At that time, half of the kids didn’t even play an instrument.  In 2005 the Cherryholmes were IBMA Entertainers of the Year.  In Black and White, their second album on Skaggs Family Records, they showcase fourteen songs, most original, with energy, passion and maturity beyond their years.  The children—Cia on banjo, BJ on fiddle, Skip on guitar, and Molly on fiddle--range from 14-23 years in age and all contribute to the writing and singing on this album.  Mother Sandy Lee plays mandolin, and Jere, the father, anchors the band on bass with his striking ZZ Top-like chest-length beard.  Oldest daughter Cia has written my favorite cuts on the album, and sings like bluegrass  powerhouse  Rhonda Vincent.  The song Black and White is about a prisoner sentenced to life without parole seeing his life literally in black and white—in prison stripes—awaiting his release and forgiveness in heaven when he dies.  This title song established the whole color, design and look of the CD insert and their website.  There’s no gray area about it—the Cherryholmes’ Black And White secures the band as one of the most colorful acts in bluegrass today.

Michael Black

Michael Black

Compass Records 7 4462

Michael Black is the older brother of the famous Irish singer Mary Black, and has gathered a great collection of ballads, and assembled a talented supporting cast on his first album.  If you love Irish ballads—songs that tell stories—you’ll love this album.  Youth of the Heart tells the story of a man who goes to America to make his fortune and then returns to Ireland to his Molly only to find her getting married the day he returns to “a penniless man, with a heart that is young.” The Deserter tells of one young man who can’t bring himself to kill another man in a war battle, and now faces execution for desertion. This album has a little bit of everything:  one instrumental, one song in Gaelic, and a modern song Don’t Laugh At Me seems slightly out of place with the rest of the traditional material, but is pleasant nevertheless.

Anne & Pete Sibley

Will You Walk With Me

Anne & Pete Sibley Music  APSM 03

Husband and wife Anne and Pete Sibley delighted a Black Forest Community Center audience on August 24 with their sweet, soulful harmonies.  If you were lucky enough to be there, you may have picked up one of their three CDs.  Their latest CD Will You Walk With Me, which came out in early 2006, is a collection of mostly original tunes showcasing Anne’s stunning voice over their simple guitar and banjo accompaniment.  Their music takes you back to simpler days.  Many of these tunes sound like they were written a generation ago, but are Sibley originals. Anne and Pete’s sincere, genuine approach to music is refreshing in our fast-paced age.  Slow down and listen.

The Violin Shop

Concert Seriies Vol. 1 DVD

www.theviolinshop.net

In 2005, The Violin Shop in Nashville underwent significant remodeling which included the creation of an intimate sixty seat concert room.  For six months they hosted a series of concerts which were all recorded live.  This DVD is the result of those performances and highlights some of the hottest fiddlers in acoustic music today.  Andy Leftwich, Bruce Molsky, Aubrey Haynie,  Jim Van Cleve, and Bobby Hicks all strut their stuff on this twenty song collection. The intimacy of these performances was captured beautifully by the team of videographers and the sound quality is top-notch.  You’ll feel like you’re on the front row of the most amazing fiddle concert you could ever attend. Most numbers are played with a full backup bluegrass band; other songs, like those performed by Bruce Molsky, are performed solo.  Said master fiddler Darol Anger, “This DVD is hands-down the best picture of the state of the art of fiddle playing, 21st Century, right now.  Nothing else comes close for production values, musical content, and pure artistry.”

Round the House

Safe Home

Round The House played on the Black Rose stage February 23 to a crowd treated to some excellent Irish traditional music.  The band’s third album, Safe Home, came out shortly after that performance and further proves that great Irish music can come from, of all places, Tucson, Arizona.  Safe Home is a balanced album of songs, reels, jigs, one air and one march. The instrumentals are crisp and lively, driven by Dave Firestine’s mandolin, bouzouki, and banjo, and Mark Robertson-Tessi’s rhythmic backup guitar.   Sharon Goldwasser’s mastery of the Irish fiddle graces each song. Claire Zucker’s voice has a lilting, authentic quality that might have you guessing she was born in Dublin. She even sings one song in Gaelic.  Safe Home includes extensive notes and all lyrics in its glossy eight-panel foldout about the fifteen pieces on this album.  Available from CDBaby.com. 

Blue Moon Rising

On the Rise

Lonesome Day Records 007

I never cease to be amazed at how many good bluegrass bands there are writing original material.  My latest discovery, Blue Moon Rising, played at the North Fork Colorado bluegrass festival June 8 and 9.  On the Rise is this Kentucky band’s third album of mostly original tunes.  Led by lead singer and guitarist Chris West, this band combines tight picking and lonesome harmony vocals to create masterful, engaging music.  I particularly liked The Crime I’m Guilty Of, in which a young man laments “now I must live alone” after he takes the life of the girl he loves after she rejects him.  You gotta love bluegrass when you can enjoy beautiful harmony vocals and the lines “now she sleeps beneath three feet of clay eternally.” Other great songs on the album are The Next Big Thing featuring guest dobroist Randy Kohrs, and the beautiful gospel number He Arose. This is a talented band making great music. 

Gráda

Cloudy Day Navigation

Compass Records 7 4451 2

Since buying Green Linnet Records, Compass has become the premier U.S. label distributing great Celtic music.  One of their latest offerings is Cloudy Day Navigation from the Dublin Band Gráda.  Gráda plays traditional-style Irish music with a jazzy, contemporary flair that should appeal to a wide audience, and Celtophiles will  find refreshing.  Some of their songs include percussion that give them an almost “pop” feel, and yet the band plays other instrumentals and airs with an absolute traditional approach. Alan Doherty plays his flutes and whistles with a clarity and speed that amazes me.  As a bonus, this CD comes with a DVD showing the band playing six tunes live in Dublin in 2006. My compliments to Compass Records for showcasing this energetic, progressive Irish band. 

Donna Hughes

Gaining Wisdom

Rounder 11661-0554-2

I fell in love with this album the first time I popped it in my CD player.  Donna Hughes grew up in tiny Trinidad, North Carolina, and has been well known behind the scenes in Nashville as a songwriter. Donna was trained in classical piano, but has hung in bluegrass circles for years, writing songs recorded by Alison Krauss, The Seldom Scene, and others.  Donna wrote twelve of the fourteen tracks on Gaining Wisdom which was produced by Tony Rice and features harmony vocals from Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rhonda Vincent, Carl Jackson and others.  When you hear some of Donna’s piano blending with Rice’s melodic guitar, Scott Vestal’s banjo, and Rob Ickes' Dobro, you’ll believe that the piano is a bluegrass instrument.  There are so many great songs on this album.  Sad Old Train is a straight-ahead bluegrass number about love lost and the subsequent heartache.  Bottom of a Glass tells the tragic tale of popular high school star succumbing to alcoholism and a ruined life.  Letters describes Donna’s bittersweet feelings upon finding that her grandmother had saved all the letters Donna had written her over the years.  Scattered to the Wind is a story of losing a parent, but also the insignificance of material things in the greater scheme of things.   Donna writes from her soul, and takes you on an emotional journey with each song.  This album also includes Donna’s version of Tim Stafford’s Find Me Out on a Mountain Top, and a bluegrass version of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time, which is a delight.  I highly recommend this CD. 

Crooked Still

Shaken By a Low Sound

Signature Sounds 0123-72000-2

Crooked Still will take the stage at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June and I can’t wait to hear them.  This four-person band out of Boston uses an unconventional blend of instruments to create a sound that’s different, fresh, and mesmerizing.  What do I call it—alternative bluegrass?  Cello-based folk?   Vocalist Aoife O’Donovan’s sultry voice floats over her bandmates’ instrumentation consisting of Gregory Liszt’ unconventional four-finger banjo rolls, Rushad Eggleston’s riveting cello riffs (including flat-picking!) and Corey DiMario’s thundering upright bass lines. The band reinterprets standards like Little Sadie and Ain’t No Grave with a sound that pushes traditional boundaries, yet retains an old-timey feel.  The tunes vary from a driving version of Bob Dylan’s Oxford Town, to the beautiful and haunting sound of Ecstasy, a tune from the early 1800s. Crooked Still came together in 2001 when the four musicians were all students at prestigious Boston universities.  The four started to jam and make music as they completed their studies.  Greg, the banjo player, went on to complete a PhD at MIT and came up with the name for the band. He says the name means a moonshine still, representative of Appalachian vibes, but coming at it from a different angle.  They certainly weren’t “straight-up” bluegrass, so they must be “crooked,” he figured.  I recommend you get a hold of this Crooked album straightaway.  

Pauline Scanlon

Hush

Compass Records 744352

The Irish Times called Pauline Scanlon’s voice “a superb mix of china cup fragility and steely resilience.” In Scanlon’s second album Hush, you are treated to her breathy vocals of nine traditional Irish tunes and two contemporary songs accompanied by a core band made up of musicians from America, Ireland, and England with roots in Jazz, Bluegrass, and Country.  I particularly liked “Wearin’ The Britches”, a song about an unhappy husband’s marriage and his warning to all young men. Call it a traditional Irish take on “who wears the pants in the family.”   I was also moved by In Shame Love, In Shame.  It’s a song in which a young unwed mother sings to her unborn child as she walks along the road to the hospital to give birth.   Scanlon describes it  as “quite simply the darkest and most moving song I have ever sung.” Hush appropriately describes the subtlety of this talented Irish vocalist. 

Niall Vallely, Paul Meehan, Caoimhim Vallely

Buille

Compass Records 744502

Buille is an Irish band formed in 2004 by brothers Niall and Caoimhim Vallely, and Paul Meehan, after years of playing in various band configurations.   The Vallely brothers grew up learning traditional Irish instruments from their parents, and are now recognized as some of the most distinctive voices in traditional Irish music today.  Niall began playing the concertina at age seven and is now recognized as one of Ireland’s greatest concertina players. (Concertinas, by the way, are those little Irish accordions played between the knees). Caoimhim played several instruments before ending up studying classical piano.  Paul Meehan, on guitar, completes the trio. The combination of the driving concertina, piano, and guitar is a refreshing and beautiful mix which draws on traditional Irish influences but also touches of jazz and classical music. This album is entirely instrumental and will really get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day. 

The Infamous Stringdusters

Fork in the Road

Sugar Hill 4021

The Infamous Stringdusters played in Colorado Springs last summer at the America the Beautiful Park free concert series, and later at a Palmer Lake festival.  They’re also appearing at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival this June.  If you caught them last summer, you know that this band is hot.  With the Stringdusters you get something unusual in bluegrass: a six-man band.  That means you’ve got everything—dobro, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, guitar, and bass, tightly meshed on every song.  Playing mostly original material on their 12-track debut on Sugar Hill, the Stringdusters play blazing bluegrass, true to its traditional roots, but with a fresh new voice.  While most of the material would please Bill Monroe, the band repertoire also includes a bluegrassy version of a John Mayer song, and several instrumentals with a “newgrass” feel.  This young band is loaded with talent, and reminds me of other young bands like King Wilkie  and Hit and Run Bluegrass who demonstrate that the future of bluegrass is in good hands. Palmer Lake native Travis Book plays bass for the band and sings lead vocal on two of the songs. Andy Hall, mandolinist, wrote and sings lead on my two favorite songs on the album, “No More To Leave You Behind”, and “My Destination”.

Hot Buttered Rum

Well-Oiled Machine

Harmonized Records 025

Hot Buttered Rum wants YOU…to join the growing ranks of Butter Spreaders.  So invites their website Hotbutteredrum.net. Well-Oiled Machine is the second album from this five-piece band out of San Francisco. The album takes its name from the band’s custom tour bus that runs on recycled vegetable oil and biodiesel.  The band has toured extensively over the past two years and this album is a collection of songs that grew out of that experience. Their music can’t be pigeonholed but borrows influences from Celtic, bluegrass, and old-time swing music.  Four of the band members have written material for this all-original album.  Erik Yates, their banjo player, also plays flute and accordion, and Bryan Horne, the bassist, also plays cello, adding refreshing touches to some of the tunes.  This album was produced by mandolin master Mike Marshall and features some cameo appearances of Peter Rowan, Darol Anger, and Mike Marshall himself.  I like these guys--I think I’ve become a Butter Spreader. 

Cadillac Sky

Blind Man Walking

Skaggs Family Records 6989020172

Cadillac Sky plays hard-edged contemporary bluegrass.  Ricky Skaggs (as true to tradition as they come) was so impressed when he heard them, he signed them on his record label. Blind Man Walking showcases the writing abilities of Bryan Simpson, the lead vocalist, mandolinist, and chief songwriter of the band.  Indeed, eleven of the twelve songs on this album were written by Simpson.  I especially liked “Motel Morning”, the proverbial musician’s song about life on the road, played with an upbeat tone and great harmony vocals. I also liked “Born Lonesome” which starts the album and sets its edgy tone.   If you want to be one of the first to catch one of bluegrass’s new contemporary voices, check out Cadillac Sky.
 

The Wailin' Jennys

Firecracker

Red House Records 195

The Wailin’ Jennys are more than just three Canadian chicks with a clever band name.  Annabelle Chvostek, Ruth Moody, and Nicky Mehta are multi-instrumentalists and songwriters who have combined talents for a second album of original tunes that span musical genres.  Each has written four songs on this 13-track album of acoustic music that borrows from bluegrass, country, and Celtic genres, and yet can’t be defined as any of those categories. “The Devil’s Paintbrush Road” is my favorite song on the album, combining a pulsing mix of banjo, drums, harmonica, and the minor-toned refrain “live and die and gone.”  Most of the other songs are softer, subtler tunes with understated accompaniment and beautiful harmony vocals. Since this recording, Annabelle Chvostek left the band to pursue a solo career, and Heather Masse has replaced her.  Whatever the future configuration of the Wailin' Jennys, I'll enjoy listening to this album for a long time. 

The Mark Newton Band

Hillbilly Hemingway

Rebel 1819

Mark Newton was the lead singer and guitarist for the bluegrass band The Virginia Squires in the 1980s that made five albums and developed a devout following.  Now, years later, and after a move to Nashville, Newton has produced a solo album with a new hand-picked band, and a polished, contemporary sound.  Yes, you can hear some drum percussion in the background, so some bluegrass purists may complain, but one can’t argue with the polished, excellent production and beautiful harmony vocals in these twelve pieces. The album is worth buying just for “It’s a Good Town to Die In,” a touching song that reminisces about hometown and childhood.  This is a solid, consistent, very professionally produced album.

Riley Baugus

Long Steel Rail

Sugar Hill 4019

Riley Baugus grew up in rural North Carolina, and began playing music at an early age.  He started on the fiddle at age ten, then switched to guitar.  At age twelve he and his father built a banjo from scrap wood and he learned yet another instrument.    Baugus’ singing was featured on the soundtrack to the film Cold Mountain, and he built several of the banjos used in the movie.  On this album, produced by Tim O’Brien and Dirk Powell, Baugus plays fourteen traditional tunes with the authenticity of someone who’s lived the rural mountain life.  Riley’s voice and open back banjo sound like echoes from 150 years ago.  The accompaniment is sparse, his voice is raw, and the songs are simple.  If you’re interested in traditional southern Appalachian music, this is a fine album to discover.  I appreciated Baugus’ liner notes describing the origin and inspiration behind each tune.

The Mitguards

Ridin' with the One I Love

MIT 003

Hank Cramer

A Soldier's Song

Ferryboat Music 905

I’m sure among our Black Rose Acoustic Society members are several retired or active duty soldiers.   Hank Cramer, who spent nearly thirty years on active duty and the reserves (including time at Fort Carson), decided to dedicate an album to the songs of soldiers throughout history. On this 66 minute CD of twenty tunes, Cramer plays a broad  cross-section of soldier songs, both ancient and modern.  Cramer, who lives in Winthrop, Washington, clearly loves making music, and tries to catch Black Rose Open Stages whenever visiting his sons in Denver.  Hank’s bass voice is perfectly suited for these traditional ballads, and he adds just the right accompaniment to authenticate the sound of these songs drawn from Britain, Ireland, and America.  Available through www.hankcramer.com.

Druha Trava

Good Morning, Friend

Compass Records 74434

Chris Thile

How to Grow a Woman from the Ground

Sugar Hill 4017

When I first picked up this new CD from Chris Thile I wondered what I was in for.  Thile, arguably the best mandolin player on the planet, has played with Nickel Creek for the past decade, and written music with cross-over appeal to the college alternative rock crowd.  (Nickel Creek, if you haven’t heard, has announced an indefinite hiatus in 2007).  The album begins with a driving, bluegrass instrumental number “Watch’at Breakdown,” showcasing Thile’s nimble fingers, followed by a toe-tapping bluegrassy number “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground” showcasing his vocal talents.  Then comes “Stay Away,” a slow, crooning, vocal lament about one of his recent lovers.  And so the album goes: a mixture of hot instrumentals, blistering bluegrass numbers, and slow, mournful ballads.  In many ways, this mixture of styles on the same album is the kind of variety Nickel Creek has always recorded. Thile recorded this CD in New York with four other musicians surrounding two omnidirectional microphones to capture an authentic “live” sound.  

Keith Sewell

Love is a Journey

Skaggs Family Records 69890201326

Have you ever heard an artist that left you thinking: Why haven’t I heard of this guy before?  Such was my response to discovering Keith Sewell’s Love is a Journey.  Keith has been writing songs for country singers for years, and has toured as lead acoustic guitarist for James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas and Sam Bush.  But until now Keith had never produced an album of his own. It was worth the wait.  Keith assembled his favorite musicians to surround his soulful voice on these ballads, and the production is first-rate. On the title track Love is a Journey Keith sings about staying together in the long, winding river of a relationship that “flows to an endless sea.” Shambles is a funky, driving number about unrequited love accompanied by the blistering, bluesy banjo of Scott Vestal.  Ripples on the Water is, as Keith describes it, an “in your face” gospel song about baptism. “I write songs when an emotion overflows me to the point where I want to translate that to a melody, to a lyric,” says Sewell.  Keith wrote or co-wrote all eleven ballads and one instrumental on this album.  Although rooted in bluegrass, these songs will have crossover appeal to those who like progressive country and other forms of acoustic music.  They’re heartfelt, gritty and refreshing.  Highly recommended.

Kenny & Amanda Smith Band

Always Never Enough

Rebel 1811

I like to pop into Borders or Barnes & Noble every couple of months to see if there’s something new in the Bluegrass/Folk section of their listening stations.  That’s how I discovered this superb CD by husband and wife Kenny and Amanda Smith whose band won the IBMA’s Emerging Artist of the Year award in 2003.  Kenny and Amanda met at a concert when Kenny played lead guitar for the Lonesome River Band. This CD is the couple’s third album together and it’s a beauty.  The crisp lyrical vocals, the tight instrumentation, and the arrangements make this one of the most solid, consistent recordings I’ve heard in a long time.  There is not a single song on this album I don’t love. None of these songs are originals by Kenny or Amanda, but it’s not surprising why so many contemporary songwriters have provided them material—they make beautiful music together.

Blue Highway

Marbletown

Rounder 11661-0558-2

Blue Highway is one of bluegrass’s super groups.  Marbletown, their latest effort, is a delightful treat for lovers of contemporary bluegrass.  Ten of the twelve songs are originals, written by four different band members, all distinctive in style, and flawless in execution.  Tim Stafford’s Nothing But a Whippoorwill is a gem of masterful songwriting--understated lyrics and a great chorus—my favorite on the album.  Shawn Lane’s Tears Fell on Missouri, about a wife who pleads with her husband to think of their young children as he calls from afar with a new love, is the saddest bluegrass song I think I’ve ever heard.  The album ends with Endless Train, a driving combustion of banjo, guitar, mandolin, Dobro, and soaring harmony vocals that will defy your ability to stay sitting, and leave you anxious for the next album by this amazing band.

Dale Ann Bradley

Catch Tomorrow

Compass Records 4445

"Dale Ann Bradley is one of the most gifted vocalists bluegrass and country music has ever heard. She is a dream.” So said Alison Krauss, a longtime fan of this forty-one year old singer who grew up in rural southeastern Kentucky in a home without electricity or running water.  Perhaps her difficult upbringing gives Bradley such an authentic voice in these 12 songs drawn from various sources.  Bradley consciously selects songs that carry a message, and her pure soprano and gift of storytelling make this a special collection.  One of my favorites is one Bradley wrote herself about her cousin Rufus forced to run moonshine as a twelve-year old boy because his family refused the trap of the coal mines.  It’s a driving bluegrass number with a great screeching fiddle punctuating the lyric.  Bradley is supported by a talented band and guest artists on this excellent recording.

Various Artists

Feels Like My Time Ain't Long

Rebel 7507

I always love it when a bluegrass band puts down their instruments to sing an a cappella number.  Rebel Records has assembled a fifteen-track collection of gospel songs from artists such as IIIrd Tyme Out, Ralph Stanley, Larry Sparks, the Marshall Family and many others.  There’s amazing variety on this CD, and it’s a joy to listen to.  The perfect CD for listening to on a Sunday morning.

Skaggs Family Records 6989020122

When Media Play closed last year, I swooped in on their last week to see what was left on the discount rack. There amongst the slim pickings was a CD with the photo of a smiling twelve-year old boy holding a mandolin. I turned the CD over, and there he was holding a banjo. I couldn’t resist. After listening to this pleasant mixture of vocals and instrumentals, I did a little investigation into Ryan Holladay. First off, this is his third album! He is the youngest performer ever to play at the Grand Ole Opry, appearing at age five. And last year he organized the first annual Ryan Holladay Bluegrass Festival in Camden, Tennessee. The band consists of Ryan’s father Mark on guitar and vocals, his uncle Mike Holladay on bass, seventeen year old fiddler Tyler Andal, and Ryan on mandolin, banjo, guitar, and lead and harmony vocals. There’s no denying this kid can pick. But this album wisely avoids a “solo show-off” approach, and presents a full bluegrass band sound, allowing Ryan’s father’s high tenor to carry most of the lead vocals. Will Ryan be the next Chris Thile? The next Bela Fleck? Keep your eye on Ryan Holladay.
 

EatsRecords ESL CD 006

Husband and wife Matt and Shannon Heaton were part of the Boulder-based band Siucra that recorded three traditional Irish CDs from 1999-2003. Now as a Boston-based duo, they’ve released their sophomore recording Blue Skies Above. Shannon plays a clear and beautiful Irish flute and whistle, and Matt provides textured guitar accompaniment for these twelve original and traditional songs. Both Matt and Shannon take turns singing, but it is their expressive instrumentals I like best on this album. I enjoyed the liner notes that detail the inspiration for each song; it adds a sense of intimacy to these musicians who find inspiration in everyday events. The Heatons clearly love what they are doing, and this bright recording expands their position in modern Irish music.

Lunasa

The Kinnitty Sessions

Compass 7 4377 2

Lunasa (pronounced LOO-nuh-suh) is a five-member band from Ireland that plays an exciting brand of instrumental Irish music.  This album was recorded live before an invited audience in Ireland’s supposedly haunted Kinnitty Castle.  But you’d never know this was a “live recording.”  There are no “audience sounds” and the clarity and crispness of the playing sounds like a highly polished studio production.  Perhaps it is in live performance that these five musicians best demonstrate their virtuosity.  Lunasa loves to begin with a beautiful lilting song, and then gradually ratchet up the tempo, jig by reel, until the piece ends in a thundering storm of guitar, fiddle, and pipes.  Lunasa is acoustic Celtic rock and roll.  But they also play quiet, wistful airs with an equally powerful effect.  Some may think that an all-instrumental album would get too tedious, but I could listen to this album while driving to Denver and back and never tire of it.  

John Doyle

Wayward Son
 

Compass 7 4408 2

John Doyle is a sensational Irish guitarist who played with Solas for years before moving to Nashville to record solo projects and play with the Tim O’Brien band and others.  Wayward Son is Doyle’s second solo album and further establishes him as singer and songwriter, as well as guitarist.  In Wayward Son, he surrounds himself with the likes of Liz Carroll, Seamus Egan, John McCusker, Tim O’Brien and other musicians to embellish his arrangements.  I love the stories told in Celtic ballads and there are several great ones here.  Jack Dolan tells of a “wild colonial boy” born of “poor and honest” parents who moves from Ireland to Australia and wreaks havoc until he is shot by mountain troopers.  Although most of the songs are Doyle’s arrangements of traditional tunes, two of his originals are two of my favorites on the album.  Bitter the Parting is a haunting original duet he sings with Kate Rusby about lovers breaking up.  The Glad Eye/The Journeyman/The Wayward Son is a medley of original tunes that demonstrate his guitar prowess.  John Doyle is carrying the tradition of Irish troubadours to a new generation. 

Willson & McKee
This Thin Place

Rimsong 5055

I’ve managed to miss Willson & McKee’s performances at the Black Forest Community Center in the past, but have placed March 17 on my calendar after listening to their latest CD.  Ken Willson and Kim McKee met in the 1980s and began recording their own brand of Celtic-flavored music together  soon thereafter.  This is their seventh CD in twelve years.  This Thin Place was recorded in Colorado Springs where the artists make their home.  The album includes McKee’s Aghadoe inspired by her walk through an Irish graveyard  and which won 2nd place at the prestigious 2005 Milwaukee Irish Festival songwriting competition.  There is a pleasant mix of vocals and instrumentals on this album.  McKee’s angelic soprano gives both the traditionals and her originals an ancient, ethereal  tone. These multi-instrumentalists list guitar, bouzouki, dulcimer, harp, keyboards, and cake pan—yes, cake pan—among the instruments they play on this album.  For a “New-Age”  Celtic experience,  try out Willson & McKee.

Kevin Burke & Ged Foley
In Tandem

Green Linnet 48248-60172-6

Did you catch the band Patrick Street at Benet Hill February 25?  Two of its veteran members, Kevin Burke on fiddle and Ged Foley on guitar, have played together since 1994 and talked about doing an album of fiddle/guitar duets for years.  Finally, in late 2005 they sat down in an Ohio studio for two days and recorded this album.  It’s amazing how much emotion an Irish fiddle with minimal guitar accompaniment can produce.  In Tandem contains traditional instrumental tunes, some original compositions by Kevin, and four vocal pieces. The album also contains a song by Sting, We Work the Black Seam, which holds meaning for Ged, the son and grandson of Irish coal miners.