Reviews

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY RED RIVER DRIFTER Red River Entertainment RRE-CD-052 Over the years, Michael Martin Murphey has carved out a well-established niche. Even his recent forays into bluegrass material have an immediately identifiable pop sound and musical approach flavored by his deep love of the West. Supported by bluegrass stalwarts Pat Flynn, Jason Mowbray, and…

BEPPE GAMBETTA THE AMERICAN ALBUM Gadfly Records Gadfly 518 Italian guitarist, Beppe Gambetta is considered by many musicians in the world as one of, if not the best, acoustic guitarists. His talent, his taste, and his execution are superb. In this latest release, Gambetta returns to the bluegrass field with a very nice selection of…

SHAD COBB & CHARLIE CUSHMAN OUT OF THESE MOUNTAINS A Simple Life Magazine No Number Take two accomplished sidemen and make a CD with them and you’re going to get some great music. Both of these players are well known in music circles and have worked with the best. Here they give us a program…

IAN SIMPSON & JOHN KANE BANJO AUSTRALIS ABC Music 3743286 Simpson and Kane are back with more banjo workouts, this time focused on music from their native Australia. The 15 cuts here include some medleys and a surprising number of songs that are somewhat familiar. “I’ve Been Everywhere” is here listed as “I’ve Played Every…

SCOTT LAW BLACK MOUNTAIN No Label No Number Guitarist/singer/songwriter Scott Law, perhaps best-known for his stint with Darol Anger, has built a solid and growing reputation among listeners and among a circle of talented acoustic musicians. It’s not surprising then, for his debut, he’s joined by many of those players, including fiddlers Tashina and Tristan…

JOE MULLINS AND JUNIOR SISK BLUEGRASS HALL OF FAME Rebel Records CD-1854    The past few years have seen the passing of many of the first generation and the retirement of many of the second-generation bluegrass artists. The music they made formed the foundation for the music we have today. Since change is the only constant,…