Reviews

SLOCAN RAMBLERS COFFEE CREEK No Label No Number This Canadian quartet captures the breadth and depth of bluegrass that bands in the chilly North aspire to. They bring a wealth of talent and musical expertise to their work and dig deeper than the average band to come up with a sound that’s not only original,…

RHONDA VINCENT CHRISTMAS TIME Upper Mgmt. Music UM009 Rhonda Vincent’s Christmas Time is her new project just in time for the holiday season. She’s joined by Brent Burke (resonator guitar), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Kevin Grantt (bass), Aubrey Haynie (mandolin), Brent Rader (percussion), Aaron McDaris (banjo), Jake Stargel (guitar), Josh Williams (guitar), and Jens Kruger (banjo)….

HOT RIZE WHEN I’M FREE Ten In Hand Records THR9001    When I’m Free is the first studio recording by the legendary Hot Rize in over twenty years and, thankfully, it more than lives up to the hype. The group was very influential during its initial run in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, producing music that…

HIGH LONESOME BELOW SEA LEVEL: FACES AND STORIES OF BLUEGRASS MUSIC IN THE NETHERLANDS BY MARIEKE ODERKERKEN AND LOES VAN SCHAIJK Kunst en Denkwerk 9789090289182. Hardcover, 138 pp., 30 Euros. (www.bluegrassportraits.nl) Something magical happens when people of enormous talent combine to produce a labor of love. In this case, the writer Loes van Schaijk and…

WEST VIRGINIA’S TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC BY IVAN TRIBE AND JACOB L. BAPST, FORWARD BY BUDDY GRIFFIN Arcadia Publishing 9781467123112. Softcover, b&w photos, 128 pp., $21.99. (www.arcadiapublishing.com) The publisher of this book is probably better known for producing books for the history of locations such as towns. It’s a picture book format with brief notes about…

MR. SUN THE PEOPLE NEED LIGHT Compass Records 4647 The debut recording from Mr. Sun, billed as “American string band music from an intergenerational tribe” features the formidably fantastic Darol Anger (fiddle), Joe Walsh (mandolin and vocals), Grant Gordy (guitar), and Ethan Jodziewicz (bass). The careful reader of liner notes may stay up pondering questions…