Reviews

DELTA REIGN HOME No Label No Number When a regional band produces a debut CD, it usually falls into one of two categories. Either they cover a variety of familiar favorites in order to appeal safely to a wider audience, or else they’ll lean heavily on original material in order to carve out their own…

BLUE MOON RISING STRANGE NEW WORLD Rural Rhythm 1070 And then there was one. On what is Blue Moon Rising’s third album, only guitarist Chris West remains from the original lineup. The current band is Brandon Bostic on mandolin, lead and harmony vocals, Tony Mowell on bass, lead and harmony vocals, Owen Piatt on banjo…

THE GRASCALS THE GRASCALS & FRIENDS: COUNTRY CLASSICS WITH A BLUEGRASS SPIN BluGrascal/Cracker Barrel 1002 What’s better than this sextet performing bluegrass? The same six players jamming on country classics. Terry Eldredge, Jamie Johnson, and Terry Smith put their passionate vocals into overdrive for this 13-song collection, and for this project, they invited along eight…

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,…

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…

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…