Wildest Dreams
Bell Buckle
Echo Valley is the Anderson family based in Western Pennsylvania. They are Lizzy on vocals and guitar, Emily on vocals and fiddle, Isabelle on vocals and mandolin, Olivia on vocals, banjo and fiddle, Emmaline on bass (also plays mandolin and guitar), Dolly on mandolin, and brother David on banjo.
Sister Emily is the award winner who has won the 2018 Maryland State Fiddle contest and the 2021 Pennsylvania State Fiddle contest. This new project was produced by Donna Ulisse who also wrote or co-wrote seven of the eleven selections. The selections include a number of Ulisse’s Gospel compositions like “Child Of God,” “To My Soul I Do,” “Always On A Sunday” (co-written with the Anderson), and “My Prayer” (co-written with husband Rick Stanley).
Other tunes are “Wild And Free,” the title cut “Wildest Dreams,” and “Cooter John” (co-written by Jerry Salley and the Andersons). Then there are covers like the Marty Robbins hit “Singing The Blues”, the Andrews Sisters’ “Oh, Johnny Oh”, and Jimmy Newman’s “Cry, Cry Darlin.”
This is a wonderful young band who has shown a lot of growth in the years since their first outing. Emily’s fiddle, along with Dolly’s mandolin and David’s banjo provide counterpoint within the arrangements proving that Ulisse’s songs are strong sources for many.
