Reviews

ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY WORLD FULL OF BLUES Compass Records 747362 The title of this new CD from two of the most accomplished and celebrated contemporary musicians, along with the presence of blues legend Taj Mahal on the title-cut, makes it clear this is a deep dive into the (mostly) acoustic blues. Yet, World Full…

JUSSI SYREN AND THE GROUNDBREAKERS BLUEGRASS HEADQUARTERS Bluelight Records, No Number    The hearts of hard-driving, honky-tonk, traditional bluegrass music fans will be gladdened by the release of the 11th album from Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers from Finland. A prolific songwriter in the traditional style, Syren’s seven original songs fit easily with four covers from…

ANDY THORN FRONTIERS LIKE THESE No Label No Number Coloradan Andy Thorn is an award-winning banjo player who has performed with the Emmit-Nershi band, Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, Larry Keel, and most recently Leftover Salmon. He’s joined on this project by Jon Stickley (guitar), Andrew Marlin (mandolin), Bobby Britt (fiddle), Miles Andrews (bass), Emily Frantz…

DONNIE SCOTT DONNIE DOBRO’S RIDE Patuxent Music CD-322 This is real country music. Yes, it has a banjo, but the resonator guitar is the sound of front-porch country. You don’t need an amp, that’s the reason for it in the first place. Mary Dunlap and Elizabeth Baker deliver “End Of Memory Lane.” This is followed…

CLAYBANK ROAD SIGNS & HIGHWAYS Mountain Fever MFR190800 This relatively new band (2016) has completed it’s third recording and the second for Mountain Fever Records. The band originated in the mountains of western North Carolina and was originally comprised of a couple of teenagers and two other veteran players. As with many new bands, personnel…

THE HOT FLASHES LIVE Happy Appy Records HAR-11 The Hot Flashes is an enchanting vocal trio that includes Amy Gallatin, Peggy Ann Harvey, and Gail Wade. Gallatin is an internationally-known artist who plays guitar, banjolele, and percussion and fronts her own band Stillwaters. Harvey plays fiddle, viola, harmonica, and soprano saxophone. She was a founding…