Reviews

ANDY STATMAN OLD BROOKLYN Shefa Records HORN-3004/5 The “On The Edge” category in BU’s “Reviews” section was created to incorporate music that extends beyond the parameters of straight bluegrass, but still holds interest for some readers. At times, my tired fingers have accidentally typed “Over The Edge,” and perhaps that would be a fitting description…

TOO BLUE TROUBLE WITH THE GREY No Label No Number I was sold on Too Blue’s sophomore CD from the moment I heard the vocals on the opening number “Face The Music.” Lead singer/banjo player Joan Harrison nails it. She’s just one of the four factors that make Too Blue an outstanding quartet. Betsy Rome…

LAURIE LEWIS SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN’ Spruce and Maple Music SMM-2006 Laurie Lewis’ Skippin’ And Flyin’ is one of many tributes to Bill Monroe produced in 2011, to highlight the hundredth anniversary of his birth. Lewis combines a mix of Monroe tunes and a mix of originals and old-time classics with a West Coast twist. The…

REUNION HILL BAND No Label No Number Before I got to track number three, “Fox On The Run,” the Reunion Hill Band already had me thinking about the Country Gentlemen, as well as Jonathan Edwards’ work with the Seldom Scene and Northern Lights. The New Hampshire band similarly mixes hard-edged bluegrass picking with folk-style vocals….

NOTHIN’ FANCY Virginia Dreams Records VDR-5566 This year is already shaping up as a good year for the long-running Virginia bluegrass band Nothin’ Fancy. At the end of last year, they released their ninth CD, the self-titled Nothin’ Fancy and, in February, captured the SPBGMA Entertaining Group Of The Year Award for the fourth time…

ASPEN RUN WANTED No Label No Number Bluegrass fans who think there are no bands left that plow through straight-ahead classics and aren’t afraid to put out an entire album of cover tunes just need to acquaint themselves with Aspen Run, a regional outfit from Maryland. The group has only been together a few short…