Reviews

Compton and Newberry

Listening to the new duo CD from Mike Compton and Joe Newberry feels like reading the manuscript of a lost Faulkner novella discovered at a flea market in Mike Compton’s native Lauderdale County, Mississippi. The stories are real and raw, but disclosed in measured doses, through voices at times tortured and others reverent. It’s music…

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Bluegrass Tracks

Andy Statman grew up in Queens on rock and roll music, took mandolin lessons from David Grisman, wanted his Jewish heritage to be a part of his art and his work is described on his website as “spontaneous American-roots music and personal, prayerful hasidic music, by way of avant-garde jazz.”  So naturally, listeners would expect…

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Twisted Sage

Most folks don’t think of traditional, old time, or bluegrass fiddlers hailing from New York City. Longtime musician, session player, actor, and TV and movie soundtrack contributor Kenny Kosek is out to prove you can’t judge a book by where it was printed. Kosek’s new album, Twisted Sage, a collaboration with banjo maestro Tony Trischka…

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Flicker Of Love

Cast Iron was formed in 2019 and calls the Ashville, North Carolina area home. The members include Nick Dauphinais (mandolin), Andrew Blythe (banjo), Rob Sine (guitar), and Celia Millington-Wyckoff (bass), and for this project they have included fiddler James Schlender.  The band’s pedigrees include stints with Mountain Faith, Larry Stephenson Band, Blue Wheel Drive, Whetstone…

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Heading South

Jason Hannan is originally from Mississippi, but resides in Frederick, Maryland, where he is a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist, and has played with several D.C. area groups like Clear Spring, Crop Dusters, and others. He plays guitar, mandolin, and bass, and he is joined on this project by his wife, Michelle Hannan (vocals, harmonica), Howard…

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Good Measure

Buncombe Turnpike gets their band name from the old 19th century road that ran from Tennessee to Greenville, South Carolina as it passed through Ashville, North Carolina, the town the band calls home. The group includes founder Tom Godleski (bass, harmonica), George Buckner (banjo), Don Lewis (fiddle), David Hyatt (guitar, banjo), Korey Warren (bass, mandolin,…

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