Reviews
The Winning Hand
Established over forty years ago, The Lonesome River Band is known for its consistent sound and song presentation. The band has gone through many member changes over the years, but both Sammy Shelor (banjo) and Mike Hargrove (fiddle) have been there for most of those years. Current member Jesse Smathers (vocal, guitar, mandolin) joined when…
From China To Appalachia
This intriguing, East-meets-West collaboration started at the Strathmore Music Center, near Washington, D.C., where Chao Tian, a visual artist and master of the Chinese hammered dulcimer, was artist in residence. Tian’s music caught the attention of Maryland-based folk veterans Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, and the result is this imaginative collaboration, which they’ve since taken…
A Time for Every Season
Virginia-based bluegrass trio Shelton & Williams are keenly aware of the power of time. They titled their 2022 album project So Much Time, So Much Love from a line in the Crosby, Stills, and Nash’s iconic “Wasted on the Way” on that album. They chose the title for their second album A Time for Every…
A Norman Rockwell Time
Based in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Buck McCumbers heads a band called “Buck and Company,” but for this release he gathered together some different players and renamed the band “The Hillbillies.” Included in the studio are McCumbers (mandolin, vocals), Eric Chichester (guitar, vocals), Dodd Walker (bass, vocals), Rick Ellis (banjo, guitar), Hunter Lemon (fiddle), and brother…
The Set
A short while I ago, I interviewed Jerry Douglas for BU about his induction into the IBMA Hall of Fame and in a side conversation that did not make the article, we talked about one of the things he tried to bring to the genre other than musicianship, and that was the desire to produce…
Boarding Windows In Paradise
Virginia native Rebecca Frazier is a first-rate singer and flatpicker with lightning fast fingers and a sweet, sultry voice that’s utterly captivating. On her new Compass Records release, Boarding Windows in Paradise, she really comes into her own with a clear vision as a songwriter and a renewed dedication to her vocal and flatpicking artistry. …