Reviews

DONNA ULISSE ALL THE WAY TO BETHLEHEM Hadley Music Group HMG1010    This is a wonderful and remarkable story told in song that depicts the events leading up to the birth of Christ. Based on Biblical accounts and totally written or co-written by Ulisse, she tells this story through the many voices of Joseph the…

MARKSMEN QUARTET THIS IS MY CROWD Rural Rhythm Christian RCH-2015 For forty years and nearly forty albums, the quality of the gospel music experience offered by the legendary Marksmen Quartet has been among the best in the genre. This latest finds them with the same lineup as in 2007 and, most importantly, still among the…

ROGER AND J.D. WILLIAMS WILLIAMS SQUARED Happy Appy Records HAR-8 Father and son. Those are the brick-and-mortar constants appearing on each track of this 12-tune, all-instrumental recording. Otherwise, resonator guitarist, bassist and father, Roger Williams, and mandolinist, bassist and son, J.D. Williams, each took charge of half. Each wrote six tunes and programmed them in…

MARK STRUHSACKER COLD OUTSIDE No Label No Number Appreciating a recording such as this is easy. From the first track to the last, we’re treated to honest and basic and good music. With the exception of track ten, titled “Evening,” a mildly, rambunctious Louvin-style mandolin/guitar/vocal duet looking at the joys of the gathering night, nothing…

CRAVER, HICKS, WATSON & NEWBERRY YOU’VE BEEN A FRIEND TO ME Barker Records, No Number    Three of these folks were members of the Red Clay Ramblers, and Joe Newberry (whose song “Singing As We Rise” just won an IBMA award) is a fun guy, too. You can hear that distilled fun on this new CD….

RACHEL BURGE DON’T YOU WORRY ABOUT ME No Label No Number    Music veteran Buddy Griffin’s wonderful bluegrass program at Glenville State College in West Virginia has produced a fine array of bluegrass musicians over the years, Lizzy Long to name one. Now, another graduate, Rachel Burge, has stepped out to make her solo debut album…