Reviews

THE GINA FURTADO PROJECT I HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD LIFE Mountain Home MH18202    For those of you who grew up excited about buying a new album, then taking it home to position yourself comfortably between two speakers and focus intently on the first listen, this album is for you. If you love reading every…

JOHN BOWMAN THE HOLE Mountain Home MH18622 The Hole is a six-song EP of country and bluegrass gospel music. Bowman has chosen heartfelt songs from excellent writers, including Merle Haggard’s “Silverthorn Mountain.” John reports, “This EP was created with the intention of glorifying God. Each track, except for “Silverthorn Mountain”—a song about life—has a focused and…

THE FARM HANDS MEMORIES OF HOME Pinecastle Records PRC 1233 Based in Nashville, the Farm Hands consist of Grammy winner Tim Graves on resonator guitar, award-winning songwriter Daryl Mosley on bass, four-time nominated guitarist Keith Tew, Opry veteran Don Hill on banjo, and newest member Kimberly Bibb on fiddle. Since forming in 2010, the Farm Hands have…

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…