Reviews

DALE ANN BRADLEY Pinecastle Records PRC 1209 Once again, Ms. Bradley asserts her powerful pipes on a wide range of songs with a host of guest singers. Unlike years gone by when a popular or country song would sneak its way into a bluegrass project, here we are treated to a few bluegrass numbers among…

BILL & MAGGIE ANDERSON GRANDMA’S BREAD Vintage Acoustic Music VAM 011 This year saw the fiftieth anniversary that Bill and Maggie Anderson have been married and playing together as a duo. Bill plays guitar and bass while Maggie is quite skilled on resonator guitar. Their years of playing have been highlighted by appearances on PBS…

THE KEVIN PRATER BAND ALL I EVER WANTED Patuxent Music CD-306 Prater and band are old-school. They play and sing and make music they can reproduce on stage or in a field or wherever they are. Five pieces—banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, and guitar—get the job done. While there is no real knockout vocalist, they all…

FLATT LONESOME SILENCE IN THESE WALLS Mountain Home MH16892 It is obvious from this new album that Flatt Lonesome are here to stay as a prominent bluegrass band dedicated to being professional in every way, performing and recording at a high level. But, they are also human, and this project seems to mark a specific…

GINA CLOWES TRUE COLORS Mountain Home MH17002 Somewhat concurrently to stepping into the banjo slot for Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Gina Clowes released her first solo recording, a 12-track release of wide musical variety and very impressive performances. With the exception of the lullaby “Beautiful Land” penned by Anthony Newley, Clowes wrote the…

APPALACHIAN EXPRESS DUSTY TREASURES No Label No Number Cindy West has one of those rich, compelling voices that almost single-handedly can lift a band into the upper echelons of bluegrass performance. After performing for two decades from the early ’70s to the early ’90s, and then taking substantial time off for other pursuits, West and…