Reviews

THE JAKOB’S FERRY STRAGGLERS POISON RIVER No Label No Number When The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers first appeared on my radar, the western Pennsylvania band had just released their debut CD The Lane Change, which straddled the line between bluegrass and old-time with a strong emphasis on original material. Two albums later, PoisonRiverstill has dual lead singers Gary…

WINDY HILL LIVE FROM THE RATZ NEST No label No Number Windy Hill is a traditional bluegrass group from California with three prior releases to their credit. Live From The Ratz Nestwas recorded using just two microphones (“one for the bass, and one for everything else”) straight to tape, in one weekend in the living room…

VARIOUS ARTISTS SONGS FROM LYON COUNTY: DENNIS K. DUFF Gracey Holler Music No Number If you are one of the many of us who’ve watched the landscape we grew up in, a landscape inseparable from our sense of ourselves, gradually change to the point of unrecognizable, you will relate wholeheartedly to this powerful song collection…

TOM MINDTE & MASON VIA Patuxent Music CD-312 Accomplished young guitarist Mason Via and Duffey-influenced mandolinist Tom Mindte take full advantage of the flexibility of the brother-duo format on their eponymous debut. Backed by bassist Ben Somerville, the pair apply their musical excellence to typical duet music (“Twas Midnight On The Stormy Deep”), bluegrass (“Heed…

THE LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND WHEN THE SUN COMES UP No Label No Number    This is the third CD released by this band, which includes Chris Coole on banjo, Max Heineman on bass, and John Showman on fiddle. Their promo material states: “The space created by the lack of guitar, the presence of three strong vocalists,…

THE BLUE SKY BOYS 1939-1949 RADIO BROADCASTS Patuxent Music CD-280 It’s high time for another Blue Sky Boys retrospective. Fifteen years after the Bear Family compilation of the duo’s Bluebird and RCA Victor recordings, and more than 20 years after a Copper Creek radio compilation, Patuxent Music (Tom Mindte and Dick Spottswood producers) have released…