Reviews

JOSH SLONE AND COAL TOWN Rural Rhythm RUR-1074 Josh Slone has ascended, quite rightly, to a national label, and his resulting debut is a good one. It’s not a classic, but is certainly one that should make the bluegrass community notice his talents as a lead singer and front man. Backing him solidly are current…

VARIOUS ARTISTS GET LOW – ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE  SOUNDTRACK Rounder Records 11661-9100-2 Soundtrack recordings can be powerful agents of exposure for films and TV shows. The 1960s-era James Bond films produced memorable soundtracks, for example, while more recently, the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou? sold millions of copies and, just as importantly, millions…

THE EELPOUT STRINGERS ROCKIN’ THE BOAT Root Bass Records No Number The Eelpout Stringers are based in Minnesota. They feature Loyd Mitchell on guitar, Karl Burke on bass, Nick Rowse on fiddle, and Craig Evans on banjo. They have recorded 25 tunes and songs, mostly traditional, aside from “Quecreek” by Julie Miller, “Orphan Train” by…

TIM DAVIS AND MATT HISER FLYING HIGH No Label No Number Flying High is a nice collection of mostly traditional, mostly well-known instrumental tunes. Tim Davis (banjo) and Matt Hiser (mandolin) are joined by Jonathan Campbell on bass, while Kris Davis and Jonathan Buckner share the guitar duties. Davis and Hiser are also joined by…

CHARLIE SIZEMORE HEARTACHE LOOKING FOR A HOME Rounder Records 11661-0657-2 Well, Charlie Sizemore is getting faster. Slightly. His last recording for Rounder, Good News, came after a five-year break. His latest was finished in four. During that time, the changes have been few. His excellent band of mandolinist Danny Barnes, reso-guitarist Matt DeSpain, and bassist…

THE MANDOLIN CASE BY DR. TOM BIBEY The front cover of this entertaining novel declares it to be “A Novel About Country Doctors, Honest Lawyers And True Music.” That’s a lot of ground to cover, but Dr. Tom Bibey does it with wit and a good grasp of the world of bluegrass. It’s a medical-legal…