Reviews

ADAM STEFFEY HERE TO STAY Mountain Home MH16622 Adam Steffey’s latest is more Boxcars than his last recording. That recording, Future Primitive, explored the boundaries of old-time and bluegrass, using predominantly traditional fiddle tunes. This recording returns him to a more conventional release. It needs to be said, however, so as not to mislead, that…

ZINK AND COMPANY III No Label No Number Zink & Company is one of those bands that you find dotting the map throughout the country—good, solid bands that know their way around the music and have built a strong following, perhaps even on a regional or semi-national level. They’re not going to stun a listener…

BLUE HIGHWAY ORIGINAL TRADITIONAL Rounder Records 1166100108 During its remarkable two-decade-plus career, Blue Highway has steered a steady course of melding vital originality with a sturdy devotion to tradition. The title of the band’s 11th album attests to this vision. This time around, the band’s members raised the bar by challenging themselves to deliver new…

DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER BURDEN BEARER: BLUEGRASS GOSPEL AND A CAPPELLA FAVORITES Mountain Home MH16692 Doyle Lawson’s credentials and credibility in the bluegrass world go back half a century and more than 40 albums. It would take way, way more space than I have here to chronicle his innumerable milestones and accomplishments. On this generous…

REBEKAH LONG HERE I AM LUK Records LUK 1001 Rebekah Long is one of the folks that the old saw applies to that goes something like this: “After nearly decades in the music business, she has become an overnight success.” She has just released her first solo album, Here I Am, but has known her…

ILYA TOSHINSKIY RED GRASS Hadley Music Group HMG1017 Ilya Toshinskiy is a banjo player from Russia and a founding member of the band Bering Strait. Learning to play banjo in Russia for a young lad was a difficult endeavor requiring a serious commitment and perseverance. He was training as a classical guitarist, but when he…