Reviews
Take Me Back
Carolina Blue Billy Blue Records BBR-1654 Carolina Blue is an overnight success 13 years in the making. This traditional bluegrass band has been around awhile and made some noise with their previous album, I Hear the Bluegrass Calling Me, but their newest release puts them among the strongest in the genre. The dedication on Take…
Poa
Matt Dudman Pleasant Valley Music PVR-006 In the liner notes to his debut album, Matt Dudman, an outstanding mandolin player, singer and songwriter, describes its contents simply as, “some of my favorite rare songs done in the style I like best.” That style is old-timey bluegrass and gospel, done in the tradition of greats like…
Banjo Player’s Blue
High Fidelity Rebel Records REB-CD-1874 High Fidelity might be a fresh-faced looking group of young pickers and singers, but make no mistake — their sound is vintage bluegrass. Banjo Player’s Blues, their third album, hits the mark with band’s title track hit, an old tune by Charlie Monroe. A close ear will note one variation:…
The Light We Bring
Trout Steak Revival Since a bunch of hippies first got together in 1974 and started the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Colorado had proved to be a fertile breeding ground for progressive-bluegrass bands. A multitude of forward thinking-groups including Hot Rize, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Elephant Revival, and countless others emerged from the Rocky Mountains. …
Cuttin’ Grass
Sturgill Simpson comes by his bluegrass honestly. Introduced to the style by his paternal grandfather, Simpson emerged a total bluegrass freak by his 20s and was writing bluegrass songs even while making a living playing punk rock. Simpson’s latest CD confirms that passion. In his letter on savingcountrymusic.com explaining his return to his bluegrass roots,…
‘Tis the season
Amy Gallatin ‘Tis the season Happy Appy Records As have many other musicians over the first three-quarters of this year, Amy Gallatin has spent this quarantine time turning her attention to a oft-considered but long-unfinished project: recording 20 of the tunes she performs in her Christmas shows with the Christmas in New England ensemble and…