Reviews
True Tones
On his new CD, mandolinist Mark Stoffel offers up a stylistically diverse outing on mostly original instrumental tunes. The Austrian expat who tours with Chris Jones and the Night Riders, does a deep dive into his own influences and tastes, creating a CD where styles range from modern bluegrass, to refined instrumentals, to the sort…
Something He Can Handle
Kentuckian Michael Prewitt (mandolin, guitar) is a former member of Special Consensus and has toured with them both nationally and internationally. He also has been nominated a couple of times for IBMA’s Momentum Instrumentalist Of The Year. On this, his second album, Prewitt features not only his instrumental prowess, and his clean baritone vocals, but…
Unfinished Bridges
This top-notch quintet out of southern New England has been around since 2013, and on their third album (produced by Scott Vestal) they are in top form with stalwart lead vocals and harmonies, fine picking and provocative songwriting. The band, which was the official IBMA Showcase Band in 2021, consists of: Billy Thibodeau on mandolin,…
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…
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…
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…