Reviews

IAN WALSH AND KEVIN BUCKLEY KEEPING IT REEL Mountain Rose Records No Number Much is made of the many connections between bluegrass and Irish music. Tim O’Brien did an excellent job of blending the dual traditions on his concept album The Crossing, and The Transatlantic Sessions recordings were a creative meeting ground between talented musicians…

IRON HORSE HORSE AND PEN B-Sharp Records CD-003 Formed in Muscle Shoals, Ala., in 2000, this quartet has produced bluegrass tribute albums to Metallica, Led Zeppelin, and Ozzy Osbourne, among other rock acts, but their focus with Horse And Pen is on self-penned material. The ten-song, thirty-five minute results are well-planned and well-executed. Vance Henry…

JAMES REAMS AND THE BARNSTORMERS ONE FOOT IN THE HONKY TONK Mountain Redbird Music MRM-CD-006 When the playing and the singing and the songwriting are working just right on James Reams and the Barnstormers’ third release, the album works as well, and the effect is quite a pleasure. That happens on about half the CD’s…

JOHN HARTFORD, TONY RICE & VASSAR CLEMENTS HARTFORD, RICE, CLEMENTS Small Dog Barking No Number It’s commonplace for recordings to appear posthumously. Some artists left hours of recorded music behind. These gentleman worked and played together on and off for decades. They ran in the same circles, they blew off steam playing for the fun…

MIKE SEEGER AND PEGGY SEEGER FLY DOWN LITTLE BIRD Appleseed Recordings APR CD 1125 Recorded mostly in 2008, a year before Mike Seeger’s death, this album documents what must have been a wonderful few days for the brother and sister, recording in Mike’s home-studio, songs that they knew from childhood. Mike and Peggy Seeger grew…

SCOTT HOLSTEIN COLD COAL TOWN Coal Records, No Number This is an outstanding recording in every way. With a rich baritone voice reminiscent of country singer Josh Turner and a talent for writing straight-to-the-gut lyrics wrapped up in strong melodies, Scott Holstein has hit one out of the park with Cold Coal Town. These great…