Reviews

THE JIMMY HAYNES BAND STILL HANGIN’ ON No Label No Number After opening their debut recording with a lush, medium tempo cover of Harley Allen’s “All In God’s Plan,” I kept waiting for the Jimmy Haynes Band to jump into high gear. But as each medium and slow song gave way to the next, I’d…

LONESOME RIVER BAND CHRONOLOGY VOLUME TWO Rural Rhythm RUR-1102 This is the second of three CDs planned to celebrate this popular ensemble’s thirtieth anniversary. Led by Sammy Shelor, multi-winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player Of The Year honors, the band continues to garner accolades. Shelor is joined by guitarist and singer Brandon…

BALSAM RANGE PAPERTOWN Mountain Home MH14042 The title songs of each of their last two recordings reached number one for a time on the bluegrass charts; one of them, “Trains I’ve Missed,” earning an IBMA Song Of The Year award. Can Balsam Range make it three-for-three? That’s a tall order, but “Papertown” the song, essentially…

BYRON BERLINE JAMMIN’ WITH BYRON Double Stop Music DS-CD03 This is a 22-cut fiddle extravaganza featuring solid array of guests. But Berline demonstrates quickly he can do it alone on the fine “Byron In The Highlands,” one of the many great original tunes included here. Berline tackles not only the repertory of bluegrass with “Cattle…

THE KARL SHIFLETT & BIG COUNTRY SHOW TAKE ME BACK Pinecastle Records PRC-1177 Karl Shiflett is no newbie, and he has certainly found a niche for his music as well as carved out an image with his retro look, style, and CD design. His fans will not be disappointed on any of those counts with…

AUDIE BLAYLOCK AND REDLINE HARD COUNTRY Rural Rhythm RUR 1100 It’s hard to imagine a singer with a more friendly, accessible, and energetic musical presentation than Audie Blaylock. There’s nothing fancy or eclectic about Blaylock’s style; it’s just damn good and immensely appealing and all-bluegrass, all the way. Whether Blaylock’s singing a supercharged anti-cheatin’ song…