Reviews

BLUEGRASS EXPRESS IN OUR OWN WORDS Plum River PRP0114    The Underwoods have been playing bluegrass for a long time. It shows in the presence of their playing and singing. They’re at home with the contemporary style they bring to the music. It actually harkens back to the sound that the Osborne Brothers brought to…

LAND OF LINCOLN No Label No Number Along Rt. 1107 in mid-Kentucky lies the small town of Thelma. From that small town hails the Land of Lincoln bluegrass band, a well-rehearsed and hard-driving group consisting of Brad Powers (banjo), Ben Childers (guitar), Bruce Davis (mandolin), Mike Jarrell (guitar), and Michael Powers (bass). With Jarrell’s strong…

BLUE YONDER BITTERSWEET ROAD JaveLina Records JR-4584    Blue Yonder consists of John Lilly on vocals and rhythm guitar, Robert Shafer on lead/rhythm/electric guitar and mandolin, and Will Carter on bass fiddle. All ten songs are original compositions by John. In the liner notes, Larry Groce wrote, “Blue Yonder lives where classic country music meets…

IDLETYMES POOR MOUNTAIN HOME Poor Mountain Records No Number    Nearly thirty years as a band on any level doesn’t happen by accident. Southern Ohio and northern West Virginia’s Idletymes offers strong playing and singing with equal comfort on contemporary and traditional bluegrass material. Idletymes has developed into quite a good band and released this…

TAMMY JONES ROBINETTE LET IT SHINE Little Creek No Number Produced by Mark Fain, this all-Gospel release features Ms. Robinette’s pleasing vocals backed by an impressive cadre of bluegrass musicians and vocalists. The band consists of Mark Fain (bass), Ron Block (guitar, banjo), Aubrey Haynie (fiddle), Rob Ickes (resonator guitar), Andy Leftwich (mandolin), and Molly…

DAVE ADKINS NOTHING TO LOSE Mountain Fever Records MFR140311 Kentucky-based vocalist Dave Adkins spent several years working in country and rock bands. So finding such colorations in his delivery on this forceful album of country and traditional and contemporary-style bluegrass tunes is not surprising. We are the heirs of our past, and for Adkins his…