Reviews

TYLER GRANT AND ROBIN KESSINGER KANAWHA COUNTY FLATPICKING Grant Central 1802 Tyler Grant from Colorado and Robin Kessinger from West Virginia are both champion flatpicking guitarists and singers. They collaborate on this CD with Tyler’s guitar in the left channel and Robin’s in the right channel. The recording opens with “Soldier’s Joy” in harmony and…

VARIOUS ARTISTS COME SEE ABOUT ME A BENEFIT FOR THE IBMA TRUST FUND Mountain Home MH17182 Come See About Meis not only a fine album with an inspiring theme, it’s also the culmination of a very worthy endeavor to which the contributing artists donated their time, talent, and royalties. The album was conceived and executed…

LARRY CORDLE TALES FROM EAST KENTUCKY Mighty Cord Records MCR1004    Cracking open a new album from stellar songwriter and singer Larry Cordle is like a combination of Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates and Christmas morning. You don’t know exactly what you’re going to get—with the intriguing variety of topics, stories, and characters portrayed in each…

COURTNEY HARTMAN & TAYLOR ASHTON BEEN ON YOUR SIDE Free Dirt Records DIRT-CD-0089 The debut recording from Della Mae’s virtuoso guitarist Courtney Hartman and Taylor Ashton, clawhammer banjo player and guitarist of Canadian roots ensemble Fish & Bird, is a quietly introspective piece of mostly original music recorded in the dead of winter with a…

WILLIAMSON BRANCH FREE Pinecastle Records PRC1217 The second release from Williamson Branch on Pinecastle and their third national release, Freeis an impressive showcase of Kevin and Debbie Williamson and their three talented daughters: Melody (19, on fiddle and guitar), Kadence (16, on bass), and Caroline (9 on vocals, and she also plays fiddle at live performances)….

SISTER SADIE SISTER SADIE II Pinecastle Records PRC1223    In the liner notes, the women of Sister Sadie say: “We are in a very natural state when we perform as a group. No struggle…just in tune with thought, spirit, and musical expression.” The sophomore effort from this all-female band of bluegrass superstars does not disappoint. The…