Reviews

JEFF PARKER & COMPANY TIME HAS MADE A CHANGE Truegrass Entertainment TGE-69093 After 12 years playing mandolin for Dailey & Vincent, Kentuckian Jeff Parker has stepped out and decided to give running his own band a try. His current band includes Colin Ray (guitar), Joey Cox (banjo), David Chrisley (bass), and Max Silverstein (fiddle). Andy…

DARIN AND BROOKE ALDRIDGE INNER JOURNEY Rounder Records 00681 On their breakout debut CD for Rounder Records, two-time IBMA Female Vocalist Of The Year Brooke Aldridge and husband Darin, along with an excellent production team and cast of stellar supporting musicians, have produced one of the first great bluegrass releases of 2020. Born and bred…

ROD McCORMACK FINGERPRINTS Sonic Timber Records 006    Rod McCormack is an elite-level guitarist, producer, vocalist, and songwriter from Australia. He’s won numerous awards there, including the Country Music Association Of Australia’s Musician Of The Year. On Fingerprints, McCormack channels his lifelong love of artists such as Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Tom T. Hall, Gordon Lightfoot, New…

WILLIAMSON BRANCH CLASSY. SASSY. BLUEGRASSY. Pinecastle Records PRC1234 Williamson Branch offers plenty of variety, but on their latest effort, it’s the fast-paced work that shines brightest. There is also a change to the lineup with the addition of Anthony Howell joining the family band on banjo. What has not changed is the vocals and harmony…

ZOE AND CLOYD I AM YOUR NEIGHBOR Organic Records OR18312 The third album from this western North Carolina duo combines elements of bluegrass, old-time music, klezmer, and original songs to create a cohesive, authentic style all their own. In the publicity notes, John Cloyd Miller says, “This is an album that delves into the themes…

MARA LEVINE FACETS OF FOLK No Label MBL CD 005 Mara Levine is a New Jersey-based singer and jewelry creator who has a clear, powerful voice that stands out ahead of the music on this, her third project. She’s joined by a host of artists (primarily her friends in the trio Gathering Time), which includes…