Reviews
Why Live Without
This four-piece group from Northern Ireland consists of three siblings and a husband. The siblings are Tabitha Benedict (née Agnew) who plays banjo, Benjamin Agnew on bass and Reuben Agnew on guitar. They are joined by Tabitha’s husband David Benedict who plays mandolin. The group has traveled throughout their native Ireland, the UK and mainland…
No Fear
In the five years since this multi-IBMA Award-winning band’s last album, three new members have come on board. Founders Deanie Richardson (fiddle) and vocalist-banjo player Gena Britt remain. Jaelee Roberts (guitar), Dani Flowers (guitar) and Maddie Dalton (bass) now round out the group. This lineup delivers something that’s close to magic on No Fear. For…
Promised Land
Danny Burns is originally from Donegal, Ireland, where he grew to enjoy playing Celtic and folk music. He now lives in Charleston, North Carolina, and has fully embraced the deep connections that Irish and Appalachian music has given him, including the melding of bluegrass and Americana. On this new release, Burns is accompanied by his…
Kinetic Tone
This collection marks this multi-IBMA Award-winning, western North Carolina-based ensemble’s tenth album for Mountain Home Music, and it’s safe to say they sound better than ever. The addition of mandolin master Alan Bibey seems to have provided a fresh injection of energy and inspiration. These tracks sizzle with drama and pathos in the form of…
School Project
It might seem odd that for as long as he’s been around, banjo player Cory Walker has just released his first solo album, School Project. Maybe he was just waiting to see how close to a perfect debut he could get for Mountain Fever Records. Walker, currently playing with the IBMA Momentum Award winning band…
Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music
When three politically and socially active college students founded an “anti-profit” record company because no one else would record and release the American folk, bluegrass and old-time music they loved, they had no idea their brainchild would become a dominant force introducing millions to artists like Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Hazel Dickens, J.D. Crowe, Norman…