THE WILDMANS

THE WILDMANS

Travianna Records
TR2005100

The Wildmans are a young brother/sister duo from the Roanoke, Va., area. Aila plays fiddle and sings lead while brother Eli plays mandolin and adds harmony. Longtime friends Victor Furtado (banjo) and Sean Newman (bass) round out the group. Guests on the project are Nick Falk (percussion), Nate Leath (fiddle), and Dori Freeman (guitar).

The young band offers a diverse set of selections that includes bluegrass, traditional, and blues, among others. On the traditional side, the group plays “Richmond,” “Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom,” and the standard “Sitting On Top Of The World” which is given a slow and bluesy pace. Furtado offers an interesting medley of “Monster Ride”/“Rock Of Ages,” and guest Dori Freeman penned “Rid My Mind.” The group opens up the set with a nice cover of Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go.” Other cuts include “Lost Man In A Foreign Country” and “Midnight In Harlem.” The project finishes up with an instrumental from Eli titled “Falling Up.”

Both Aila and Eli are quite accomplished players and Furtado’s banjo fits right in with their arrangements. The Wildmans can be found at many festivals, conventions, and jams, bringing their delightful sound to new audiences. (www.thewildmans.net)BF