Reviews

THE RAILSPLITTERS THE FASTER IT GOES No Label No Number One of the most valuable fallback tools a reviewer has in describing a new band is comparison. This allows one to write things like “This mandolinist plays like a young Bill Monroe or maybe an old Chris Thile,” or “This singer has a tone that’s…

THE BING BROTHERS AND JAKE KRACK LIVE ON BROADWAY NYC No Label No Number This DVD catches a set by the Bing Brothers playing on March 14, 2015 for the Celtic Appalachia Celebration presented by the Irish Arts Center in New York City. Mick Maloney introduces the band. Mike Bing is on mandolin and Tim…

GEORGE CLARK SHIFFLETT, III LEGACY Shifflett Family Entertainment SFE-0002 From the opener, Marty Robbins’ “El Paso City,” to the bluesy stomp of the closer, “Lovesick Blues,” singer/guitarist George Shifflett III offers up an enjoyable album of bluegrass and bluegrass-style covers of country tunes. Among the 13 tracks are such standards as “In The Garden,” “Last…

THE CHUCK WAGON GANG AMERICA’S GOSPEL SINGERS: THE LEGACY LIVES ON New Haven Records 0270722811099DVD    Since the debut of the Chuck Wagon Gang’s Bear Family box set, along with the CD by the current group (see “Highlight Reviews” of both in the June 2015 issue of BU), I’ve been trying to recall when I first became…

THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS RADIO Rounder Records 11661-36733-82 The Grammy Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers can best be described as musical mavericks. Unbound by convention, they are inventive musicians. That they have teamed with comedian and banjo player Steve Martin live and in previous recorded efforts simply adds to their intrigue. Their ninth CD (sans Martin)…

KENNY JACKSON THE SHORTEST DAY Crow Hill Music CHM-CD-004 Jackson has been a longtime member of the old-time music scene. Starting out playing guitar with Brad Leftwich and Linda Higginbotham, he was a member of Big Medicine. On this, his second solo effort, he’s joined from time to time by his current bandmates from the…