Reviews

GENA BRITT CHRONICLE: FRIENDS AND MUSIC Pinecastle Records PRC1230 Thirty years ago, the center for bluegrass moved to Nashville. It had been more egalitarian before then. Since then, an industry has been constructed, and here we have ordained Nashville bluegrass. This is a fine tribute to Gena Britt’s talents, as more than twenty friends gather…

LOUISA BRANSCOMB GONNA LOVE ANYWAY Compass Records 747382    Louisa Branscomb’s life has always been influenced by trains. While growing up, and still today, she hears the whistles, the click-clack on the rails, and the screech of the brakes as the trains roll on by. Those sounds have become the basis for many of her songs,…

MAKING MUSIC FOR LIFE: REDISCOVER YOUR MUSICAL PASSION BY GAYLA M. MILLS Dover Publications 9780486831718. Paperback, 224 pp., $16.95. (www.doverpublications.com) Author Gayla Mills has written a book not about the music itself, but how music can become part of your life, reconnecting with music, and/or continuing what you may have already started. This book is…

HARD DRIVE No Label No Number Millennial bluegrass is not for the old and stodgy unless you are open to reinventing the norms. The opening track, “Intuitions,” is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, smooth voice over and all. This segues into the women’s voices on the introduction to a very fine “Goin’ Up Caney.” The music…

CEDAR HILL GRANDPA BUILT A CHURCH HOUSE Nickeltown Records NR190515 Frank Ray first formed Cedar Hill way back in 1967 and has fronted the band ever since. Through those years and many personnel changes, he has kept the band true to their Ozarks roots and their traditional sound. He has also been a major contributor…

MICHAEL CLEVELAND TALL FIDDLER Compass Records 747372    Michael Cleveland’s exceptional talent has been obvious from a very early age. On Tall Fiddler, Cleveland shows multiple sides of his musical talent as it has grown into full bloom. Unlike his CDs with The Flamekeepers, Cleveland’s solo CDs give him the freedom to work with other musicians and…