Reviews

ANDY STATMAN MONROE BUS Shefa Records Horn-3008     Among the notes and graphics of this outstanding CD is an offstage snapshot of Bill Monroe at the 1966 Roanoke Bluegrass Festival. Walking into the scene at that moment—literally in Monroe’s footsteps—is a 16-year-old from New York City named Andy Statman. Given Statman’s subsequent career as a…

DALE ANN BRADLEY THE HARD WAY Pinecastle Records PRC-1229    The latest album from five-time IBMA Female Vocalist Of The Year and multiple Grammy nominee Dale Ann Bradley presents songs that have stayed close to her over the years. She says, “They are full-circle songs about regret—reflective songs maybe.” At the height of her career, Bradley…

BLUE MOON RISING AFTER ALL THIS TIME Mountain Fever MFR190322 Blue Moon Rising has launched its seventh recording, this one on Mountain Fever Records, notwithstanding some personnel changes since the band was created in 2000. Founding members Chris West (guitar/vocals), Keith Garrett (mandolin/guitar/vocals), and Tim Tipton (upright bass) are back together and are joined by…

THE CROOKED JADES EMPATHY MOVES THE WATER Jae Note Music CJ010 Any band that has been around for over twenty years is bound to have accumulated a wide range of influences. The Crooked Jades began their journey back in 1996, and their musical backbone continues to be defined by old-time music. Their newest CD, Empathy Moves…

AUBREY EISENMAN & THE CLYDES BOWERBIRD Travianna Records TR190426 This is a trio with a focus on vocals. The presence of producer/engineer Aaron Ramsey on mandolin adds depth to the group sound and pumps up their presence. Aubrey Eisenman plays bass and sings all of the lead vocals. Her husband Justin Eisenman plays guitar and…

GOOD OLD BOYS LIVE DRINK UP & GO HOME RockBeat Records ROC-3412 Ah, the mid-’70s in California, a post-Woodstock scene where musicians of all stripes felt free to explore whatever music styles appealed to them without much apparent concern for commercial appeal or record sales. For bluegrass, that meant West Coast-based musicians David Grisman, John…