Reviews

IVAN ROSENBERG OLDIES AND OLD TIME Vole-O-Tone 003 In his concerts, Arlo Guthrie often tells a story of performing with Pete Seeger at a European folk festival. When asked to add to a series of iconic singalong songs from Seeger’s bottomless folk repertoire, Guthrie responded by leading the crowd in a version of “I Can’t…

BRANDED BLUEGRASS SIMPLE DAYS No Label No Number Out of Kokomo, Ind., comes Branded Bluegrass with Derek Dillman on banjo and guitar, Larry Norfleet on guitar and two tracks on mandolin, Jesse Norfleet on resonator, and Mike Martin on bass as well as hammered dulcimer on the instrumental standard “Angeline The Baker.” Randy Jones guests…

BUNCOMBE TURNPIKE FOREVER IT WILL BE No Label No Number What is most attractive about the latest recording from Buncombe Turnpike are the four story songs drawn from real characters and events in and around the group’s homebase of Buncombe County, North Carolina. Those four come from bassist Tom Godleski. This is not new territory…

RICKY SKAGGS AND BRUCE HORNSBY CLUCK OL’ HEN (LIVE) Skaggs Family Records 6989050042 The only thing that could possibly top the Skaggs and Hornsby studio collaboration six years ago is this live collection of tunes, mostly taken from their tour at that time. While musicians attempt to recreate the live feel behind the studio microphone,…

SHANNON & HEATHER SLAUGHTER & COUNTY CLARE ONE MORE ROAD Elite Circuit Music 002 Shannon & Heather Slaughter & County Clare’s One More Road is an exciting new release featuring the songwriting of Shannon Slaughter and wife Heather’s wonderful and soulful vocals. Shannon is a songwriter/guitarist whose works have been recorded by the Lonesome River…

NEW KENTUCKY COLONELS LIVE IN HOLLAND 1973 Roland White Music RW0001 Clarence White’s tragic death at the hands of a drunk driver forty years ago did not just tear apart his lifelong musical connection with his brothers Roland and Eric and their landmark bluegrass band, the Kentucky Colonels. Like the premature deaths of Django Reinhardt,…