Reviews

DELLA MAE I BUILT THIS HEART No Label No Number Once upon a time, all-female bluegrass and old-time bands were a rarity, as each era produced a challenge to a male-dominated style—the Coon Creek Girls, the Any Old Time String Band, the Buffalo Gals, the All-Girl Boys, and more paved the way for equality and…

ERNIE MARTINEZ BLUE RANGE No Label EM 2011 Each region of the country still retains some reflection of its original settlers and something of a regional flavor that marks their lifestyle. Martinez is from Colorado and his music is strongly influenced by the presence of the cowboy and elements of the “western” of country-and-western and…

JUNIOR SISK AND RAMBLERS CHOICE THE HEART OF A SONG Rebel Records REB-CD-1845 Up front, Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice make their feelings abundantly clear. Opening their third Rebel CD with a Tim Massey/Rick Pardue/Junior Sisk composition, “A Far Cry From Lester And Earl,” they more or less lay it out there, declaring that bluegrass…

MOUNTAIN FAITH SAVE ME Mountain Home Music MH13402 Mountain Faith has a story that embodies an important niche in bluegrass music—the family band. The group started as so many have, with parents attending a festival, someone getting an instrument as a gift and the next thing you know, the fever has taken over and church…

NEWTOWN No Label No Number NewTown is the self-titled, first offering from this Lexington, Ky., band. The group features veterans Kati Penn-Williams (Dale Ann Bradley Band) and former NewFound Road founding member Junior Williams. With solid efforts from the Williams, as well as C.J. Cain on guitar, James Kee on mandolin and Terry Poirier on…

PHARIS AND JASON ROMERO PASSING GLIMPSE Lula Records Lula1102 Banjo maker, Jason Romero and his wife, Pharis, mine the depths of old-time country music in style and substance. They deliver their message in clear and direct voices in their singing and writing. Pharis sings in a style and voice similar to Gillian Welch but more…