Reviews

TOM MINDTE, MASON VIA & BEN SOMERVILLE 409 Patuxent Music CD-330 And now for something completely different might be the best way to describe this eclectic offering from the trio of Tom Mindte, Mason Via, and Ben Somerville. How else do you talk about blues, Rockabilly, Swing, gospel, rock, and a pass at a Bob…

RAY CARDWELL STAND ON MY OWN Bonfire Recording BRC5012 It’s easy to imagine Ray Cardwell singing and playing along with old Newgrass Revival recordings. That’s not too much of a stretch given his forceful rock-inspired vocals and his bass playing chops, not to mention his recruitment of guitarist Pat Flynn and resonator guitarist Curtis Burch…

JIM AND LYNNA WOOLSEY LONG AGO Bonfire Recording BRC5009 Jim and Lynna Woolsey are a couple from the Patoka Valley of Indiana who have been performing together for more than thirty years. Jim (guitar) and Lynna (vocals) are joined on this project by Mike Curtis (resonator guitar) and Dave Foster (bass). Rounding out the session…

TRICIA SPENCER & HOWARD RAINS THE OLD TEXAS FIDDLE VOL. III Tiki Parlour, No Number    Modern American contest fiddling is often described as Texas-style because that’s what is used in many contests, but there’s an older Texas fiddling style that is closer to old-time fiddling in Appalachia and other places. Howard Rains and Tricia Spencer…

MERLE MONROE BACK TO THE COUNTRY Pinecastle Records PCR1231 Merle Monroe is a band of country and bluegrass veterans and new talent that hopes to bridge the divide between classic country artists such as Merle Haggard with traditional bluegrass inspired by Bill Monroe. No surprise, Back To The Country features two Haggard tunes and closes with a…

LARRY SPARKS NEW MOON OVER MY SHOULDER Rebel Records REB-CD-1870 After a five-year hiatus from recording, Larry Sparks proves he hasn’t lost a beat with this stalwart new 12-song collection. New Moon Over My Shoulder is jam-packed with the sort of soulful song interpretation, masterful picking and no-frills authenticity that we’ve come to expect from Sparks over…