CD Reviews on projects by Bluegrass artists
Asher Brinson, a 16-year-old guitarist and singer-songwriter from North Carolina, captures timeless musical inspirations in his debut album, Midnight Hurricane. After a transformative concert experience, he mastered bluegrass with the guidance of renowned mentors. His album features eight vocal tracks and three instrumentals, showcasing a blend of talent that promises a bright future in bluegrass.
“Sin & Squalor” is the debut album by Clay Street Unit, blending bluegrass, indie folk, and honky-tonk. Produced by Chris Pandolfi, it features heartfelt storytelling across eleven tracks reflecting longing, love, and resilience. The album captures the band’s journey from Denver roots to notable stages, showcasing their rich harmonies and diverse influences.
Greensky Bluegrass celebrates 25 years with their album XXV, showcasing their evolution through nine albums and extensive touring. The 75-minute record features 13 intricate songs, including collaborations with notable artists. Highlights include the energetic “Can’t Stop Now” and the epic “Last Winter in the Copper Country,” underscoring their unique jam-grass style.
Larry Keel and Jon Stickley, acclaimed flatpicking guitarists, celebrate acoustic music through dynamic harmonies in their new 5-track EP. Featuring lyrical tunes and cosmic instrumentals, the project showcases their skills and roots in bluegrass traditions. With influences from iconic musicians, their collaborative sound is both innovative and accessible.
East Nash Grass is a celebrated bluegrass band that achieved the title of “New Artist of the Year” at the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association. Their debut album “Last Chance To Win” showcases their unique sound, featuring diverse vocal contributions from members and a mixture of original songs and covers.
From the Dirt, a bluegrass band from Central Maryland, blends genres with rich vocal harmonies and introspective songwriting. Fronted by Daniel Kenny, their album “Colored Edge of Memory” explores themes of heartache and resilience through varied instrumentation. Notable tracks range from haunting ballads to upbeat tunes, showcasing their musical versatility.
The SteelDrivers, a bluegrass band from Nashville, debuted in 2008 and achieved Grammy recognition, winning Best Bluegrass Album in 2015. Their latest release, “Outrun,” features new lead singer Matt Dame. The album showcases their signature storytelling style, promising to captivate both bluegrass fans and newcomers alike.
Shelby Means, a singer-songwriter and bassist from Kentucky, has released her self-titled debut solo album, showcasing 13 vibrant bluegrass songs. With contributions from Nashville’s elite musicians, the album highlights her artistry and storytelling. Means navigates personal themes, blending traditional bluegrass with modern influences, promising a bright future in the music industry.
The WDR Big Band’s album explores a fusion of Bluegrass and Jazz, highlighted by Mike Marshall’s mandolin and Darol Anger’s violin. Traditional tunes and original compositions feature strong saxophone solos by Bob Mintzer. The collaborative effort showcases the talents of renowned musicians, producing a unique and vibrant Americana sound.
Red Camel Collective’s debut album showcases the seasoned skills of its quartet, previously backing Junior Sisk. Fusing bluegrass and classic country, the album features ten tracks, half originals, half covers. Highlighting themes of joy and self-acceptance, standout songs include “Daughter of the Stars” and a vibrant take on Charley Pride’s “Roll on Mississippi.”
The Seldom Scene, a renowned bluegrass band, celebrates over fifty years of musical evolution with their new album “Remains to Be Scene.” Featuring a mix of traditional and contemporary songs, the album honors founding member Ben Eldridge and showcases the current lineup’s talent, solidifying the band’s influential legacy in bluegrass history.
March to August’s album, Songs Inspired By Witness, reinterprets Karen Hesse’s novel about a Vermont town during Prohibition, addressing themes of invasion, freedom, and social evil, particularly through the character Reynard Alexander, a newspaper editor. The album’s sparse folk/bluegrass sound enhances the lyrics, which explore complex social issues and moral dilemmas.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit’s third album, City of Glass, blends California’s country-folk and mountain bluegrass, showcasing exceptional artistry. With confident songwriting and performances, the album has a natural sound produced by Lech Wierzynski. Highlights include empowering anthems like “Hillside,” heartfelt laments, and rollicking tunes. This could be their breakout recording.
Laurie Lewis Trees Spruce and Maple Music Laurie Lewis is an icon in the worlds of bluegrass, old time, and folk, a mentor to such vital artists of today such as Molly Tuttle and an inspiration to peers which Linda Ronstadt and Kathy Mattea, as just a couple of examples. Longtime fans of Lewis know […]
Cris Jacobs One of These Days Soundly Music From 2001 until a final Thanksgiving bash ten years later, the highly gifted singer, songwriter, and guitarist Cris Jacobs led Baltimore’s The Bridge, a sextet that linked rock, blues, funk, folk, and bluegrass in unique, jam-inspired style. The band generated enough critical acclaim and wide appeal to […]
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway City of Gold Nonesuch Play the last song of this dazzling bluegrass adventure first. Throughout “The First Time I Fell in Love,” a lilting “Mr. Bojangles”-like melody carries Molly Tuttle’s soul baring recollections of being a teenager. Tuttle was diagnosed with Alopecia as a three-year-old, and it quickly advanced to […]
William Lee Ellis Ghost Hymns Yellow Dog Ghost Hymns is the first album in over a decade for versatile roots artist William Lee Ellis, godson of Bill Monroe and son of Blue Grass Boy banjoist and composer Tony Ellis. Currently William Lee Ellis is Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Fine Arts Department […]
The Infamous Stringdusters A Tribute to Flatt & Scruggs Americana Vibez Records Here they go again, those Infamous (and incredible) Stringdusters, demonstrating that to rock as creatively and successfully as they do in the progressive bluegrass realm, frequent trips back to the music’s Appalachian sources to really know the stuff, are an obligation. Besides enormous […]
The Gibson Brothers Darkest Hour Bull Run / Rainmaker Music The Gibson Brothers began recording their 15th album just as everything hit the fan. But from that Darkest Hour came the purest expression of what makes The Gibson Brothers the multiple award-winning bluegrass vocal duo and band leaders that they are. As produced by the […]
Old Crow Medicine Show Paint This Town ATO While they started as a bluegrass band, Old Crow Medicine Show (OCMS) in recent years have won two Grammys and are considered one of our best roots bands, meshing Americana, old-timey music, folk, and rock & roll into an appealing sound that consistently sells out venues wherever […]
Cameron Knowler & Eli Winter Anticipation American Dreams Records Cameron Knowler and Eli Winter are young guitarists barely out of college that bear watching. You may recognize the latter’s name as we did cover his solo album, Unbecoming, last August. The winter holidays of 2018 found Cameron Knowler and Eli Winter touring through an interesting […]
Rising Appalachia Ley Lines Blends cultures and harmonies into pure bliss Patrick O’Heffernan The word “ley lines” was coined in 1921 by the amateur English archaeologist Alfred Watkins, describing the apparent alignments among historical and geological spaces, hypothesizing that they had persisted over millennia to facilitate travel, trade and community. Later, others theorized that global ley lines […]
Mike Daly Renascence Self-released Mike Daly is a steel player, as in pedal steel, lap steel, baritone slide, slide mandolin, Weissenborn, Dobro and steel drum, all of which he plays here. You have all that, right? Daly is known most, perhaps as the regular pedal steel player in Hank Williams Jr.’s and Travis Tritt’s bands […]
Andy Statman Monroe Bus Shefa This kind of review opportunity does not often happen. Mandolinist Andy Statman played at this writer’s wedding (Yes, that was ages ago) and at the time Statman was already a well-established musician who accompanied David Bromberg, Doug Sahm, Vassar Clements, David Amram, Tony Trischka, Bob Dylan and The Grateful Dead, […]
Back to the Basics, the newest album of original bluegrass music from multi-instrumentalist Pappy Biando is everything you expect and a few things that find you searching your own soul. Pappy’s music is consistently fresh, new, and familiar. His new album “Back to the Basics” is exactly that. Pappy is a young man with an […]
“All Things Must Pass” The rise and fall of Tower Records (96 minute DVD) www.MVDb2b.com – MVDvisual The death of Tower Records was a major blow for many of us who grew up purchasing vinyl LP’s, seven inch forty-fives and CD’, laser discs, and DVD’s. This triumphant and reflective DVD “All Things Must Pass,” is […]
Del McCoury Band Del & Woody McCoury Music Woody Guthrie (1912 – 1967) was a singer, songwriter and musician who wrote hundreds of songs. Many are today considered traditional but included were ballads, children’s songs and political tunes. Best known is his song “This Land is Your Land”. Guthrie was a big influence on other songwriters […]
Earls of Leicester Rounder Records My love for bluegrass began with Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs and The Foggy Mountain Boys. Flatt’s voice, so laidback and clear, was the greatest American voice. He gave me an appreciation for a Bluegrass tenor and led me to discover other bluegrass and country music singers. As a youngster Scruggs’ […]
Hot Rize When I’m Free Ten in Hand Records Hot Rize, originally from Colorado, released their first self titled album in 1979 on the Flying Fish Record label. The band released six studio albums and disbanded in 1990 but not before being named the first “Entertainers of The Year” by the then newly formed International […]
The Roland White Band Straight Ahead Bluegrass Roland White Music In April 1964 World Pacific Records released The Kentucky Colonels Applachian Swing! The Kentucky Colonels were Clarence White, guitar; Roland White, mandolin; Billy Ray Latham, banjo; Bobby Slone, fiddle; Leroy McNees, dobro; and Roger Bush, bass. Clarence White had basically invented Bluegrass guitar picking. Alongside […]
Seven Handle Circus is extraordinary, literally. There is nothing about them that is ordinary. They use traditional acoustic bluegrass instruments but their sound is more pop than bluegrass, with amazing harmonies that recall R.E.M. more than Bill Monroe. Add to that the literary influences and references the Atlanta group, who met while attending Georgia Tech, […]
Robin and Linda Williams Back 40 Red House Records Robin and Linda Williams are a husband and wife harmony duo. They got their start on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio program in 1975. That year they also released their first recording. They were originally inspired by The Carter Family but have absorbed music […]
Rob McCoury The 5 String Flame Thrower McCoury Music Rob McCoury is the son of Del McCoury and the banjo player in The Del McCoury Band. “Kansas City Railroad Blues” is the hard driving vehicle that sets the stage for this album of mostly banjo instrumentals. The song credits include Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, J.D. […]
Del McCoury Band The Streets of Baltimore McCoury Music In 1963 Del McCoury was the rhythm guitarist and featured vocalist with Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys. His replacement was Peter Rowan. He recorded as Del McCoury and The Dixie Pals and in 1972 released his fifth album “High on a Mountain” on Rounder Records. […]
The Seldom Scene Long Time….Seldom Scene Smithsonian Folkways Records John Duffey and Tom Gray were both members of The Country Gentleman, one of the best bluegrass bands of their day. Gray left in 1964 while Duffey stayed for five more years. In 1971 Duffey, mandolin and lead tenor vocals, formed The Seldom Scene along with […]
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