Reviews

The Kentucky Colonels were as progressive and innovative as Billy Strings is today and Osborne Brothers were before them. The guitar magic—there’s no other word—conjured by Clarence White, melding with his older brother Roland’s dry, almost plaintive vocals and spot-on Monroe style mandolin, created a thrilling new sound. The highlight, to many fans was their…

Bluelight Records  BLR 332332 Led by Jussi Syren (mandolin, lead vocals), the Groundbreakers members hail from both Finland and Europe. Formed in 1995 the others in the group include Tauri Oksala (banjo, resonator guitar, vocals), J.P. Putkonen (guitar), and Tero Maenpaa (bass, vocals).  The group has toured around six European countries, and in the States,…

Mountain Fever MFR230200 In 2019, while Troy Boone and the late Aaron “Frosty” Foster were regularly performing at a local Tennessee distillery, they decided to put together an album project of the popular tunes they had been playing. However, it was near the end of these sessions that Foster passed away. Foster had played guitar,…

Besides being one of the most gifted banjo players on the scene, as well as a polished composer, Alan Munde is also someone who apparently knows how to have a good time and share his upbeat vibes with others. Munde has said that “playing music is the most fun of all.” The genesis of his…

This family band out of the Midwest sure makes some righteous noise on their sophomore release.  Katie Greer is simply a remarkable singer and mother Kathie’s and brother Jase’s harmonies support her hand-in-glove. Jase also does a yeoman’s job on lead on a pair of cuts. The vocal arrangements that veteran producer Jim Van Cleve…

Tim Stafford has a rather extraordinary resume.  He’s an alumnus of Alison Krauss’s Union Station. He’s a founding member and long-time guitarist with the eminently popular band, Blue Highway, and he’s recorded five solo albums along the way.  In the studio, he’s backed everyone from Willie Nelson and Kenny Chesney to Tony Trischka and Larry…