Reviews

CAROLINA BLUE GOIN’ HOME TODAY No Label No Number Carolina Blue, perhaps the only bluegrass band to share a name with a hip-hop group, offers a very good album, Goin’ Home Today, marking their tenth year together. Falling on the traditional end of the contemporary bluegrass spectrum, the band demonstrates the talent, skills, and commitment…

THE BOXCARS FAMILIAR WITH THE GROUND Mountain Home MH16422 Even with John Bowman’s departure in 2014, The Boxcars keep impressively rolling on. Their latest recording is every bit as rewarding for the listener and as deeply rooted in the band’s signature sound as any of their previous releases. Light when called for, dark when necessary….

JOSH WILLIAMS MODERN DAY MAN Rounder Records 11661-9111-2 At the time of Josh Williams’ last recording, he’d hit bottom in his personal life. His struggles are known and bear no need for cataloging here. Suffice it to say, six years on the road of recovery and six years of hard work have resulted in this,…

DAVID BRAGGER BIG FANCY Tiki Parlour Recordings No Number    David Bragger, his band Sausage Grinder, and the online Old-Time Tiki Parlour have become fixtures in the old-time and traditional music scene in Southern California. Now, David has released a solo project of his own, a CD with 21 diverse and excellent selections played on fiddle,…

BUDDY MELTON & MILAN MILLER SECRETS, DREAMS & PRETTY THINGS Melton & Miller Music MM2016001 When an 11-year-old who has made no secret of the fact that bluegrass music is his thing says, “That ‘Adeline’ song is awesome, maybe the best bluegrass song I’ve heard,” that’s a pretty strong endorsement. “Adeline” is the first cut…

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS LADIES & GENTLEMEN Compass Records 746652 Like the acrobatic artwork of the band’s CD cover, the Infamous Stringdusters continue to teeter on the highwire between various genres with grace and smoothness. On this sixth studio project, the innovative musicians took a different direction. Instead of the familiar sound of Travis Book, Jeremy…