Reviews

TIM O’BRIEN WHERE THE RIVER MEETS THE ROAD Howdy Skies CD-2017    No American acoustic artist has presented a more honest, deeply-rooted expression of bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, and roots music than West Virginia’s favorite son, Tim O’Brien. Whether it’s his early work with the Ophelia Swing Band, his initial solo records and songwriting work for Nashville…

DARRELL WEBB BAND LOVER’S LEAP Mountain Fever Records MFR170210 Darrell Webb’s years with Wildfire, Lonesome River Band, Rhonda Vincent, and Michael Cleveland have served him well. The time spent with those groups enabled Webb to learn both sides of the business—the stage and the office. He took those learned skills and formed his own band…

TUSSEY MOUNTAIN MOONSHINERS SHINE No Label No Number In the liner notes, the following recipe appears: “How to make SHINE. 5 parts songwriters, 6 parts acoustic instrumentation, and 3-part harmonies. Age ingredients 18 months on many stages. Take fermented sour mash to the stillhouse, add one condenser microphone, and boil. Do not over mix.” The…

THE WEEPING WILLOWS BEFORE DARKNESS COMES A-CALLIN’ No Label No Number The second recording from Australian duo, Andrew Wrigglesworth and Laura Coates (The Weeping Willows) is a collection of original songs guaranteed to haunt. “We are the darker side of Americana,” Laura Coates says. “We are drawn to murder ballads, as well as spiritual hymns,…

NED LUBERECKI TAKE FIVE Clemment Luberecki Music CLM 0317    The ever quixotic Mr. Luberecki has produced an engaging outing here that will take the listener on a romp through a wide range of material with an extensive cast of musical partners. There are interesting and engaging banjo and fiddle duets with Becky Buller, hard-driving bluegrass…

THE GARRETT NEWTON BAND YOUNG HEART OLD SOUL Pinecastle Music PRC1204 Young looking even for 17, Garrett Newton is well on his way to making a name for himself in the bluegrass community with his first solo release Young Heart Old Soul. He’s been playing banjo since he was ten, when he started hanging out…