Reviews

HOG-EYED MAN 3 Yodel-Ay-Hee 104    Jason Cade won first place in fiddle at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Festival in Clifftop, W.Va., in 2016, and the two tunes he played in the finals are on this CD, “Buck Hoard” from Alva Green and “Old Hen She Cackled” from John Salyer. While those two powerful tunes…

JEFF BROWN & STILL LONESOME A DISTANT HORIZON Union House Records UHR—0002 Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome come from Cedar Bluff, Va., and bring with them a sound mixing traditional, straight-ahead bluegrass with contemporary flourishes. Some songs are cast in the traditional mode. Some are more contemporary. Most blend the two. Jeff Brown is the…

CORRINA ROSE LOGSTON BLUEGRASS FIDDLER Patuxent Music CD-278 I was listening recently to some of my old vinyl recordings, including a cluster of albums by the great fiddlers Kenny Baker and Byron Berline. They were distinguished by a consistently high level of sweet and proficient fiddling, a wide-ranging assortment of interesting tunes, and support from…

EXERCISES FOR THREE-FINGER BANJO BY JACK HATFIELD Mel Bay MB99783. (Mel Bay, #4 Industrial Dr., Pacific, MO 63069, www.melbay.com.)   This is a book for the serious banjo player. It’s full of techniques for both hands on the banjo and good advice to everyone wanting to be a better three-finger banjo player. Subtitled Drills In…

DARIN AND BROOKE ALDRIDGE FASTER AND FARTHER Mountain Home MH16642 Eight years into their career—and their marriage—North Carolinians Darin and Brooke Aldridge have established themselves as rising stars on the bluegrass gospel scene. Their new album, as its title suggests, seems destined to speed their ascendance. Faster And Farther showcases not just Brooke’s remarkable vocal…

CASCADE CRESCENDO CAUGHT IN THE RAIN No Label No Number Cascade Crescendo’s name honors the majestic Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest including Oregon, and this Portland-based group’s impressive debut album proves yet again that you don’t have to hail from the Appalachian or Blue Ridge Mountains to create heartfelt, exciting bluegrass. This is a…