Reviews

JOSHUA PALMER MET-A-COG-NI-TION Patuxent Music CD-269 Joshua Palmer is a very talented young man from Owl’s Hollow, Alabama and has developed an interesting, fluid, and clean mandolin style. On this mostly original project, Palmer exhibits some great songwriting and arranging, but he also expresses a sensitive vocal style. He’s joined on this project by Andy…

LAURA ORSHAW LAURA ORSHAW SONGS OF LOST YESTERDAYS No Label No Number Laura Orshaw’s new solo project features a collection of tunes from sources such as Charlie Moore, Hazel Dickens, Norman Blake, Peter Rowan, Leroy Drumm, and others. She also offers a couple of her own tunes. Selections include Moore’s “Cotton Farmer,” Blake’s “Uncle,” Dickens’…

DELTA REIGN NOTHING BUT SKY Travianna Records TR150407 This is easy listening bluegrass. The band simmers along with some sweet songs delivered in an unhurried style featuring Belinda Murphy’s vocals. On the fourth cut, they go up-tempo and drive into “Nothing But Sky,” a very catchy song. They dig in and get to the old…

BUD’S COLLECTIVE No Label No Number A quartet originally from West Virginia, Bud’s Collective delivers an uneven, eponymous album full of both high and low points. Formed in 2012, the young group has experienced some success.  They placed second at SPBGMA in 2013 and won the D.C. Bluegrass Union’s Mid-Atlantic Band Competition. The band also…

ANTIQUE PERSUASION DON’T FORGET ME LITTLE DARLING: REMEMBERING THE CARTER FAMILY Voxhall Records VHR 12003 This is a tale of two concepts; as in one of the best albums of the year released in 2015 that unfortunately bears one of the worst band names in recent memory. Rest assured, I love this recording. But, whoever…

BAND OF RUHKS 101 Ranch Recordings RRBR22    This is an important and powerful release from three of today’s strongest personalities in bluegrass music. A local bluegrass DJ refused to play this CD because, in his opinion, it was country and not bluegrass. That line has been blurred for at least fifty years by well-established bands…