Reviews

THE SOWELL FAMILY PICKERS TRUST IN THE LORD No Label No Number As with many family bands, the Sowells are, at their core, a gospel bluegrass band. That does not necessarily mean that all of their material is gospel bluegrass. They follow what seems to be a rising trend in bluegrass, one in which bands…

EDDY RAVEN WITH CAROLINA ROAD ALL GRASSED UP Pinecastle Records PRC 1207 Eddy Raven’s foray into bluegrass can be traced to his appearance on Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road’s bluegrass tribute to country music of the ’70s. He was one of ten or so stars of the period who put their lead voices to bluegrass/country-hybrid…

DICK KIMMEL AND PAMELA LONGTINE FIDDLE AND MANDOLIN Dick Kimmel Music CD 2017-01 You certainly can’t say that Dick Kimmel and Pamela Longtine haven’t diversified the music on their first recording together. With the exception of bluegrass, which gets only a slight nod in that both “Rain And Snow” and “Pretty Little Miss Out In…

FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE LIFE BETWEEN THE LINES No Label No Number Write what you know. Musicians know the road and that’s the stated inspiration behind the 12 original songs on the second album from Fireside Collective. Truth be told, with one or two possible exceptions, it’s hard to hear why these songs couldn’t have been written…

FRONT COUNTRY OTHER LOVE SONGS Organic Records OR16882 With a foundation in traditional music, Front Country has advanced its music skillfully with something they dub “roots pop.” The quintet—Adam Roszkiewicz (mandolin, banjo, vocals), Jacob Groopman (guitar, reso-guitar, mandolin, vocals) Jeremy Darrow (bass), Leif Karlstrom (five-string violin), and Melody Walker (vocals, guitar, percussion)—developed part of its…

RALPH STANLEY II & THE CLINCH MOUNTAIN BOYS Stanley Family Records No Number With the passing of Ralph Stanley in 2016, the band name and legacy of the Stanley sound has been handed to Ralph II. That’s a tall order. Adhering to a legendary sound while being yourself musically is not easy. Obviously, Ralph II…