Reviews

CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS RUN AWAY TONIGHT Mountain Home MH16122 There’s nothing particularly overwhelming about Chris Jones & the Night Drivers in terms of flashy picking or pyrotechnic vocals. This veteran band’s power lies in its understated soulfulness, earnestness, and subtlety. These qualities shine through brightly in the band’s finely crafted original songs…

SIDELINE SESSION 2 Mountain Fever Record MFR150602    As the name suggests, Sideline intended to be a sometime band, but the success of their debut album made Sideline a main line. Now they’re back with a second excellent recording, simply called Session 2. I met Steve Dilling when he was 18 and picking in a mostly…

LORRAINE JORDAN AND CAROLINA ROAD COUNTRY GRASS Pinecastle Records PRC1197    Bluegrass tributes to country (and other forms of music) are not rare. Those that work in a convincing manner are. A country song can’t always be forced, unadjusted, into a bluegrass form or vice versa. Thought must be taken, and the necessaries of both styles captured….

DAVID PETERSON OLD TIME POWER Zion Mountain Music No Number Is it the songs or is it the performances/performers that make this 15-song gospel CD from David Peterson such a joyful, powerful experience? Is it having material drawn from legendary songwriters such as the Louvins, James Rowe, Lewis E. Jones, Charles A. Tindley, Ira Stamphill,…

THE ROLAND WHITE BAND STRAIGHT AHEAD BLUEGRASS No Label No Number    It’s impossible to accurately tell the history of bluegrass music without including the contributions of Roland and Clarence White, their band the Kentucky Colonels, and the lasting impact made by Roland through his soft-spoken yet brilliant contributions to bands such as Country Gazette and…

STUART MASON TRADITION Native Home Music No Number Stuart Mason is a West Virginia native who now lives on the central coast of California. He has won awards for singing, songwriting, and mandola. He has played with bands such as Molly’s Revenge, Story Road, and Little Black Train, and this is his second solo release….