Reviews

JOHNNY CAMPBELL AND THE BLUEGRASS DRIFTERS Let’s Pick LP-001    It’s refreshing to hear traditional bluegrass played with drive and vigor and sung from the heart. This outfit does just that. Out of the gate, they hit it hard with the old number “Gospel Plow.” They have picked some fine gems to include on this…

DAVID WHITE LONG ROOTS Footpath Records No Number    David White is one of those people you love to hate. Already blessed with the brilliant mind to be a pediatrician, the Texas-native is also an extremely talented singer/songwriter. On his debut album Long Roots, White’s storytelling and relaxing baritone voice take center stage with a…

TRINITY RIVER BAND BETTER THAN BLUE Orange Blossom Records No Number    With their fourth recording, the Trinity River Band makes a subtle change. Where once they recorded three standards per album, here they only include one, a throttle-open rendition of “Mystery Train,” sung with great verve by the group’s principle lead singer, Sarah Harris….

YOU DON’T CRY OUT LOUD: THE LILY ISAACS STORY BY LILY ISAACS New Leaf Press 9780892217243. Paperback, 199 pp., $14.99. (New Leaf Publishing Group, 3142 Hwy. 103 N., Green Forest, AR 72638, www.nlpg.com.) Psychotherapist Erving Polster wrote a book in 1987 titled Every Person’s Life Is Worth A Novel, in which he talks about the…

THE SAME OLD NEWGRASS BAND No label 2813    Even in an age in which we’ve had some twenty to forty years of crossover covers, it can come as a bit of a surprise to hear some of these songs attempted by a bluegrass/old-time outfit. I’m not including “Midnight Rider” or “When Will I Be…

MISSY RAINES AND THE NEW HIP NEW FRONTIER Compass Records 746042    Missy Raines is a kick-butt bassist, and with seven Bass Player Of The Year trophies from the IBMA, I’m not alone in my opinion. Frankly, her vocals hadn’t really captured my attention, and I had completely underestimated her talented pipes until this CD….