Reviews

STEEP CANYON RANGERS TELL THE ONES I LOVE Rounder Records 11661-9168-2 The collective creativity of the Steep Canyon Rangers shows no sign of weakening, but rather, as the 12 originals here reveal, that it’s rapidly broadening and strengthening. For this new release, the band took their ideas to Woodstock, N.Y., specifically to Levon Helm’s legendary…

BLUEGRASS JAMMING ON BANJO (TIPS, TUNES & TECHNIQUES) BY WAYNE ERBSEN. (Native Ground Books & Music, 109 Bell Rd., Asheville, NC 28805, www.nativeground.com.) If anyone knows how to teach banjo, it’s Wayne Erbsen. His list of books and teaching accomplishments is lengthy. His understanding of how to take a complex subject and break it down…

LORRAINE JORDAN AND CAROLINA ROAD Pinecastle Records PRC 1186 The new Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road album opens with one of those tunes that just makes you feel good. The song is a Tom T. and Dixie Hall composition cataloging all the things, that when seen, you know “That’s Kentucky.” Part of the feel-good is,…

BANJOIST DAVID DEESE: BLUEGRASS BOY TO BRIARHOPPER (AN UNFINISHED BIOGRAPHY) BY PAT J. AHRENS Self Published, No Number. (Pat Ahrens, 6708 Vanwood Dr., Columbia, SC 29206, www.patahrens.com) David Deese may not be a household name in many bluegrass households, but he was right there in the thick of it. Winning several prestigious banjo contests early…

KAREN LYNNE SHINE YOUR LIGHT Shoestring SR 104 Karen Lynne waited a long time and came a great distance (from Australia to Nashville) to record this gospel record. The results should make her feel that the wait and the journey were worth it. Go immediately to the third track, “Coat Of Many Colors” (a duet…

CHRIS JONES AND THE NIGHTDRIVERS LONELY COMES EASY Rebel Records REB-CD-1847 Chris Jones has evolved over time into a singer who, almost always, gives his best performances in tempos ranging from medium and lilting on down to slow and expressive. Equally important, his song choices in those ranges are most successful when cloaked in a…