Reviews

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…

DEAR BROTHER THE HOURS No Label No Number Dear Brother delivers a largely traditional sound with progressive influences on their promising debut The Hours. They packed the album with nine solid originals by fiddler John Duncan and guitarist and lead singer Evan Swink. The title track is as good a newly composed neo-traditional song as…

DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER LIFE IS A STORY Mountain Home MH17012 After nearly four decades (going back to 1979 when he formed Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver following stints with Jimmy Martin, J.D. Crowe, and the Country Gentlemen) and 40 albums, the ever-prolific Doyle Lawson has sure figured out how to get the job done. His…

JIMMY GAUDREAU AND ELLE MEARS GIVE US STRENGTH Songside Records SR-1701 Bluegrass bands (as do fans of the music, myself included) love to wallow in good old-fashioned weepers and troubled tales of all sorts. That’s what makes this album from Jimmy Gaudreau and Elle Mears a bit different. Call it a positive message album. Quite…

MAN ABOUT A HORSE No Label 191061550655 Whoa, mule, whoa. “High energy” is an understatement and Man About A Horse is a self-titled debut album that requires dancing or foot-tapping or some kind of movement. What it is is hard to describe other than to say it’s good music. That ought to be enough. The…

JOE FILI OLD HARMONY ROAD No Label No Number Fili is a fiddle repairman in New Jersey. He has gathered a group of solid musicians around him to present this program of well-known tunes peppered with originals. Carl Baron handles the banjo parts with skill, while Travis Wetzel’s mandolin and fiddle add a depth to…