Reviews

ALAN JABBOUR AND STEPHEN WADE AMERICANA CONCERT: TRADITIONAL FIDDLE & BANJO TUNES FROM THE APPALACHIANS Patuxent Music CD-308 This treasure of a recording catches the late Alan Jabbour and Stephen Wade in concert at the Library of Congress where Jabbour had run the American Folklife Center before retiring. Two old friends doing what old friends…

DAVE ADKINS RIGHT OR WRONG Mountain Fever MFR 180309 This impressive ten-cut album marks another big step forward for award-winning Kentucky singer-songwriter Dave Adkins. Adkins, best known for previous hits like “Change Her Mind,” “Sold,” and “Pike County Jail,” along with past recording collaborations with Ronnie Bowman, Russell Moore, Marty Raybon, and the Lonesome River…

TROUT STEAK REVIVAL SPIRIT TO THE SEA No Label No Number Bluegrass fans in Colorado are certainly familiar with Trout Steak Revival. With three CDs under their belt, TSR list of accolades includes winning the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, picking up an Emmy for a soundtrack they contributed for a PBS show, and getting a…

ANDY HALL & ROOSEVELT COLLIER LET THE STEEL PLAY No Label No Number What do you get when you put masters of steel guitar together in a room? That sounds like the set up to a joke, but there’s no punchline this time. Andy Hall (resonator guitarist for the Infamous Stringdusters) and Roosevelt “The Dr.”…

VARIOUS ARTISTS BIG BEND KILLING: THE APPALACHIAN BALLAD TRADITION GSMA 200973    Ballads are stories set to melodies. They are also a viable means of noting historical facts and telling archetypical truths. As one might imagine, the material here is all first-rate. It has stood the test of time and has remained flexible enough to withstand…

VOLUME FIVE MILESTONES Mountain Fever MFR180205 Last year, Volume Five celebrated their tenth year as a band with Glen Harrell (fiddle), Patton Wages (banjo, guitar), Chris Williamson (bass), Jacob Burleson (mandolin), Colby Laney (guitar), and Gaven Largent (resonator guitar). It was also the year they were honored as Emerging Artist Of The Year during the…