Reviews

NEFESH MOUNTAIN No Label No Number This a different sort of pairing, one both interesting and welcome. The principal musicians involved, the husband and wife team of Doni Zasloff and Eric Lindberg, aim to color old-time and bluegrass with Jewish elements, what they call “Jewish spirit.” This does not mean, necessarily, that they are mixing…

DICK KIMMEL CORBETT ON THE COUCH: MANDOLIN RECORDINGS Dick Kimmel Music CD-2016-01 Mandolinist Dick Kimmel’s latest release presents a gathering of predominantly instrumental tracks. Of its 18 tunes, Kimmel wrote nine. Five are traditional, running from the familiar “Mississippi Sawyer” and “Ragtime Annie”/“Texas Gals” to the lesser-known “Old French”/“Here And There Hornpipe” and “Sweet Ellen.”…

THE SPINNEY BROTHERS LIVING THE DREAM Mountain Fever MFR 160429 This recording marks a slight departure for the Spinney Brothers. It’s still the same band, Rick and Allen, Gary Dalrymple on mandolin, and Terry Poirier on bass. The guests are Rob Ickes and Ron Stewart. Gentle nostalgia still dominates. Their sound has a more modern…

RICK BARTLEY RIVER FULL OF BLUES No Label No Number Rick Bartley has combined five originals with three bluegrass standards and several additional new songs from relatively lesser-known sources to produce what appears to be his first release (the liner notes here are the soul of brevity). The result is a well-performed, pleasant offering of…

THE DEL McCOURY BAND DEL AND WOODY: ORIGINAL LYRICS OF WOODY GUTHRIE SET TO MUSIC BY DEL McCOURY McCoury Music No Number    Opening unsolicited CD mailers can prove better than Christmas when the package contains something on the order of Del And Woody, the latest from the Del McCoury Band. Del McCoury selected and arranged…

THE GRASCALS AND THEN THERE’S THIS… Mountain Home MH16432 The last Grascals release moved them closer to Americana. The drums were more upfront, the songs somewhat harder-edged. The question was, where would their next recording take them? Well, just as “Life Finds A Way,” life sometimes gets in the way. Longtime members Jamie Johnson and…