Reviews

THORNTON SPENCER THINGS LEFT BEHIND Never Met a Stranger NMAS 003 These are the last recordings of the late fiddle player Thornton Spencer of Whitetop, Va. Spencer passed away in November of 2017 and was a member of the Whitetop Mountain Band. He and his wife Emily joined the band in 1977 after their move…

LAKESIDE MOVING ON Morning Glory MGM190901 This new album recorded for Morning Glory, the gospel imprint of Mountain Fever Music, is the fifth recording from the Tennessee-based bluegrass gospel band LakeSide. Fans of the popular group have always enjoyed their solid bluegrass instrumentation and smooth vocal harmony, and this album does not disappoint. The variety…

THE GARRETT NEWTON BAND BLUEGRASS BARN Pinecastle Records PRC1227 Lorraine Jordan of Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road once said of Garrett Newton that he was an old soul in a young man’s body. Jordan, a bluegrass purist, bandleader, and mentor to Newton, meant it as a compliment. A listen to Newton’s second effort from his…

EDDIE BOND, KAREN CARR, DONALD HILL, PECO WATSON THE FRIES SESSION Never Met a Stranger NMAS 006 This session came about in May 2016 with a phone call from Stevie Barr of Barr’s Fiddle Shop in Galax, Va., to local artist Eddie Bond. Barr told Bond that people from Never Met A Stranger Records (NMAS)…

VOLUME FIVE FOR THOSE WHO CARE TO LISTEN Mountain Fever MFR191025    This is Volume Five’s first recording since Adam Steffey joined on mandolin. When Steffey joined, Jacob Burleson moved from mandolin to guitar, and his guitar playing is fine with strong rhythm and expressive, but not excessive leads. Steffey does not sing on this project,…

JASON BARIE PIECES Billy Blue Records BBR-1010 Jason Barie, fiddle player for Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers for the past five years, is a bluegrass veteran at a young age. The six-time Florida State Fiddle Champion also played six years with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver as well as stints with Bobby Osborne & Rocky…