Reviews
The Gibson Brothers – Help My Brother
THE GIBSON BROTHERS HELP MY BROTHER Compass Records 4549 From the outset, the Gibson Brothers have made a dramatic mark not only with their heartfelt sibling harmonies, but also with their exquisitely crafted, evocative original songs. Now that this New York-born & raised, 2010 IBMA award-winning duo has ten albums, a few more gray hairs,…
Kyle Creed: Clawhammer Banjo Master – By Bob Carlin and Dan Levenson
MEL BAY PRESENTS KYLE CREED: CLAWHAMMER BANJO MASTER BY BOB CARLIN AND DAN LEVENSON Mel Bay 9780786682713. CD included, 64 pp., $19.99. Mel Bay Publications, #4 Industrial Dr., Pacific, MO 63069, www.melbay.com. A tablature book on the banjo playing of Kyle Creed has been long overdue. In addition to Tommy Jarrell and Fred Cockerham, Creed…
Travis Chandler And Avery County – State Of Depression
TRAVERS CHANDLER AND AVERY COUNTY STATE OF DEPRESSION Patuxent Music Patuxent CD-212 Travers Chandler and Patuxent Music head Tom Mindte make a great match. Both have a passion not just for traditional bluegrass of the ’40s to ’60s, but also for mining material of that era from deep in the catalogues of performers such as…
Bobby Osborne and The Rocky Top Xpress – Memories: Celebrating Bobbys 60th Anniversary As A Professional Entertainer
BOBBY OSBORNE & THE ROCKY TOP X-PRESS MEMORIES: CELEBRATING BOBBY’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY AS A PROFESSIONAL ENTERTAINER Rural Rhythm 1072 In celebrating the anniversary of Bobby Osborne’s six decades(!) in showbiz, producer Glen Duncan has pulled out the stops. These 14 tracks, besides highlighting Osborne’s perennial talents, also feature vocal and instrumental assists from a high-profile…
The Legacy of Roscoe Holcomb
THE LEGACY OF ROSCOE HOLCOMB Shanachie 621 Roscoe Holcomb (1911-1981) was the legendary old-time banjo player whose powerful vocals inspired John Cohen to coin the phrase the “high lonesome sound” back in 1962 when he first captured Roscoe on tape for the film of the same name. The Legacy Of Roscoe Holcomb, a hundred-minute black-and-white…
The Knuckle Knockers
THE KNUCKLE KNOCKERS Yodel-Ay-Hee Records The Knuckle Knockers are husband and wife Bill Foss (vocals, mandolin, banjo, banjo-mandolin) and Martha Hawthorne (vocals, guitar, banjo), and Karen Celia Heil (vocals, fiddle, guitar). They are ably assisted by Brendan Doyle and Maxine Gerber, each on banjo, on five cuts. The CD opens with a lovely version of…