Reviews
AMY GALLATIN & STILLWATERS, EVERYTHING I WANTED LOVE TO BE
AMY GALLATIN & STILLWATERS EVERYTHING I WANTED LOVE TO BE Happy Appy Records HAR-9 Put plainly, Amy Gallatin is a fine and appealing vocalist, with a warmth, incisiveness, and sincerity to engagingly deliver a range of songs. You might hear echoes of singers as great and as varied as Emmylou Harris or Hazel Dickens, but…
RED JUNE, ANCIENT DREAMS
RED JUNE ANCIENT DREAMS Organic Records OR15292 With one foot firmly planted in Appalachian tradition and the other stretching to reach new ground, Red June showcases stellar three-part harmonies and incredible instrumental work on this third CD. The previous projects (their debut Remember Me Well and the 2012 release Beauty Will Come) garnered strong attention….
THE SONGWRITER IN ME: SNAPSHOTS OF MY CREATIVE PROCESS
THE SONGWRITER IN ME: SNAPSHOTS OF MY CREATIVE PROCESS BY DONNA ULISSE Hadley Music Group 9780578139661. Paperback, black & white photos, 158 pp. (Hadley Music Group, P.O. Box 290184, Nashville, TN 37229, www.hadleymusicgroup.com.) Donna Ulisse has been nominated for IBMA Songwriter Of The Year three years running. Her songs have been recorded by Del McCoury,…
JOHN MAILANDER, WALKING DISTANCE
JOHN MAILANDER WALKING DISTANCE No Label No Number This young fiddler has surrounded himself with top-flight players capable of highlighting his fine work and exploring all of the avenues his interests have lead him down. In eight tunes, Mailander explores paths bluegrass and old-time paths with a touch of Celtic thrown in for good…
THE LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND, OLD TIME
THE LONESOME ACE STRINGBAND OLD TIME No Label, No Number The Lonesome Ace Stringband comprises Chris Coole on banjo, Max Heineman on bass, and John Showman on fiddle. All three sing. They open with a haunting original fiddle tune by Showman, “Hold Your Lying Tongue.” Showman also wrote “Gauley Junction,” which is played in a…
THE ROYS, THE VIEW
THE ROYS THE VIEW Rural Rhythm RUR 1120 Since their 2011 recording debut this brother-sister duo has captured the hearts and minds of bluegrass fans while scoring a slew of awards and chart-topping bluegrass hits along the way. On The View, Lee’s and Elaine’s fourth album, they have really taken some bold steps in…