Reviews

STEFAN COLIND THE STRINGS ALIVE PROJECT Strings Alive Music STRINGS 001 Danish composer, mandolinist and banjoist Stefan Colind has played in a range of bands including Train 45, Sugar Hill, and the New York City Cowfreaks since 1994, but The Strings Alive Project seems to be his first solo release. With 14 tracks, this “tribute…

SPRING CREEK HOLD ON ME No Label, No Number Starting with Hot Rize and Front Range, Colorado has a long tradition of bluegrass bands with unique identities based on great vocals, interesting original material and strong instrumental skills. To that list, we can now add Spring Creek, which like its namesake rises cool and clear…

BOJ OSBORNE IN THE TRADITION Rocky Top X-Press Records RTX-0001 Boj Osborne debuts with an album somewhat centered in sound created by his mandolin-playing father and banjo-playing uncle, hence the album’s title, but one that also goes its own way quite a bit, which is, of course, also part of his family’s tradition. Wondering how…

BLUEGRASS 43 THE WITCH No Label Si-Sol7/4 Since Bluegrass 43 has not had a new recording on the market since 1989, a brief re-introduction seems in order. Formed in 1977 in France, the group has had at least two previous CDs to their name—Country Swing and Old Old Truck—and currently consists of bassist/vocalist Alain Audras,…

RUSS CARSON LAST CHANCE Patuxent Music CD 219 This first recording by young Mr. Carson is an aural treat. Instead of hammering away on a dozen warhorses, he digs deep into tradition, creating contemporary versions of some older tunes with some powerfully good help. The title tune is an older piece he probably learned from…

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY TALL GRASS & COOL WATER Rural Rhythm RUR-1077 There has always been a connection between bluegrass/Appalachian music and the cowboy music of the Old West. Many of the same songs and fiddle tunes written centuries ago in Ireland, Scotland and Britain made their way out West and were adopted and adapted over…