Reviews

JIM LAUDERDALE & ROLAND WHITE YepRoc Records YEP-2597 This recording gives us an insight into two-time Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Lauderdale’s arrival in Nashville almost forty years ago and first meeting Roland White (the Kentucky Colonels and Country Gazette). They assembled in the summer of 1979 in the basement of Earl Scruggs’ home and created this…

RHONDA VINCENT & THE RAGE BLUEGRASS LEGENDS: LIVE AT THE RYMAN Upper Mgmt. Music UM013 The liner notes contain all one needs to know about this fine project. The CD was made from a live recording on July 14, 2016 during an edition of “Bluegrass Nights” at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Rhonda & The…

DAVID BENEDICT THE GOLDEN ANGLE No Label No Number    Great bluegrass and new acoustic instrumental music abides here in the twenty-first century. Buoyed by the stellar achievements of instrumental pioneers like Bill Monroe, David Grisman, Tony Rice, David Grier, Tony Trischka, Sam Bush, and Bela Fleck, and on to more contemporary artists like Chris Thile,…

RUDI EKSTEIN CAROLINA CHIMES Foxfire Recording No Number Blessed be the tune writers, for they shall give the pickers new things to play. Cursed be the tune writers, for they shall have a hard time getting their new tunes heard. Therefore, many composers of new bluegrass instrumentals have taken the same road followed by mandolinist…

RANGER DOUG SONGS OF THE FRONTIER Rural Rhythm RUR-1146 Old-time music was the popular music of the U.S. from about the Civil War until World War II. It was and remains a very diverse genre with many regional variations. One of those is cowboy music, the focus of this new CD from Ranger Doug Green…

BRANDON LEE ADAMS TIME THAT I WAS LEAVING Tritium Music TM180324 Adams is an interesting songwriter having written the 11 pieces here. He’s backed by talented session men as he drives through the program with ease on vocals and guitar. He comes out sounding a bit like a young Elvis with his voice ensconced in…