Reviews

BOB AMOS SUNRISE BLUES Bristlecone 1008    For those like me who still thought of Bob Amos primarily as the songwriting lead vocalist with Front Range, Sunrise Blues is an ear-opener in many ways. It’s no surprise that he has filled the tracks of his latest CD with several fine new songs, all firmly anchored…

THE EARLS OF LEICESTER Rounder Records 3577 Utterly natural, sparkling from beginning to end, and completely sincere might be all I should write in review of the stunning all-star release The Earls Of Leicester. The album sounds as if the bandmembers cut their teeth on this music. Oh right, the six did cut their teeth…

PHIL LEADBETTER THE NEXT MOVE Pinecastle Records PRC 1192 Given what Phil Leadbetter has been through the last few years, the temptation is to look for symbols or meanings hidden in his song selection for his new CD. Does this song symbolize this? Or does that one mean that? Some titles certainly seem so. The…

FRANK SOLIVAN & DIRTY KITCHEN COLD SPELL Compass Records 7 4633 2    It’s a bit of an over-simplification to pigeonhole Frank Solivan and his band as the early twenty-first century answer to the Newgrass Revival. But I think the comparison is apt, just as I think the presence of two former Newgrassers, John Cowan…

MIKE SCOTT AND FRIENDS THE OLD COUNTRY CHURCH Rural Rhythm RCH-2022    The last time out, banjoist Mike Scott and his friends—Bryan Sutton, Adam Steffey, Aubrey Haynie, Rob Ickes, Tim Stafford, and bassist Ben Isaacs—presented instrumentals from the Civil War era. With this recording, Scott and the same cast apply a similar approach to 13…

LONESOME RIVER BAND TURN ON A DIME Mountain Home MH 15632    A new recording from the Lonesome River Band. What more needs be said? Each new release is consistent and entertaining, and you can always find numerous excellent tracks among the good song selection and high-quality presentation. The group here is the same quintet…