Reviews

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…

DAVID GRISMAN’S DAWG TRIO WITH DANNY BARNES & SAMSON GRISMAN PLAYS TUNES AND SINGS SONGS Acoustic Disc ACD-50056 David Grisman has become the mandolin king of collaborations. The recent output from his Acoustic Disc label has presented him in various historical contexts with the likes of Tony Rice, Doc Watson, and his original David Grisman…

NATE GIBSON & THE STARS OF STARDAY Bear Family BCD 17588 If this exquisitely packaged album contained as many bluegrass performances as it does 1950s bluegrass artists, I’d give it a highlight review. Even so, this album provides the most fun set of 24 new recordings of classic country and rockabilly music in many years….

BAND OF RUHKS AUTHENTIC Rebel Records REB-CD-1867 The Band Of Ruhks (Ronnie Bowman, bass and lead vocals; Don Rigsby, mandolin and lead/tenor vocals; Kenny Smith, guitar and baritone vocals, and Brian Fesler, banjo) are some of the brightest talents performing bluegrass for the last 30 years. Anybody familiar with the history of the Lonesome River…

SIDELINE BREAKS TO THE EDGE Mountain Home 18262 Not long ago, I was having a conversation with IBMA Hall of Famer Del McCoury, and his lament about modern bluegrass bands was simple. “The knack for entertaining people is lacking in a lot of bands and musicians now,” he said. And, he’s right. There’s clamor in…

BILLY DROZE RENAISSANCE Red Bird Records No number Louisiana born Billy Droze comes to bluegrass from several tours with the country band Shendandoah with whom he toured under the name Billy Ryan. As a songwriter, Droze has crafted songs for numerous country and bluegrass acts including Shenandoah, Marty Raybon, Randy Kohrs, Junior Sisk, The Grascals,…