Reviews

A great writer, no matter what format, songs or stories will not only be able to turn a phrase in a way that catches your ear, but will use that skill to catch your heart as well. A great writer will more often than not remind you of what you already know, but do that…

As a youngster in Yucaipa, California, Sonia Shell discovered the banjo. Today, she’s a sought-after musician and in-demand instructor on the California scene.   Shell’s fine new album serves as a “how-to” of sorts. She clearly enjoys the public domain classics, uses them in her instruction and has included a fair number of them here…

Mac Martin is considered to be one of the pioneers of bluegrass music. Growing up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, he learned to play guitar and perform locally. After high school and a term in the Navy, he formed the Pike County Boys in the late 1940’s and later formed the Dixie Travelers around 1955….

If you’re a bluegrass purist looking for an album that sounds like it just wandered from the Appalachian foothills, look no further. Ancient Songs et al is heavily fortified with evangelical hymns, Woody Guthrie, Townes Van Zandt, AP Carter, and of course, Bill Monroe. Dry Branch Fire Squad seeks to preserve the essence of these…

As a leading figure to rise out of the ‘60s folk revival, Tom Paxton’s songs have been recorded by everyone from Johnny Cash and Doc Watson to Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson and Peter, Paul & Mary. His “The Last Thing On My Mind” and “I Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” have, of course,…

Jody Stecher is a long-time performer and promoter in the old-time, bluegrass, and folk music scene. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Stecher began playing at the age of twelve and grew to gain a background of those music styles, while learning to play guitar, banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. His collaboration with his wife Kate Brislin…