Reviews
The Chisels are Calling
Although their prominence in bluegrass and roots music has receded and grown over the decades, archtop guitars (and their brethren in the mandolin family) have played a significant role in our music. Mother Maybelle Carter legendarily played a classic Gibson L-5 created by Lloyd Loar. Miscellaneous rhythm players in many early mountain, Western and folk…
Lost & Alone
Anyone who has followed Junior Sisk’s career knows what a wonderful traditional bluegrass singer he is. From Virginia’s Blue Ridge area, Sisk cites influences like the Stanley Brothers, Larry Sparks, Dave Evans, and The Johnson Mountain Boys. Sisk was the founder of the successful and award-winning Rambler’s Choice, and he was awarded SPBGMA’s 2017 “Male…
Karma
Volume Five is based in Mississippi and since 2008 has become quite a popular band with a unique approach to bluegrass music. The group on this new project consists of Patton Wages (banjo), Aaron Ramsey (mandolin, octave mandolin, bass), Jeff Partin (bass, resonator guitar), Jacob Burleson (guitar), and Glen Harrell (fiddle). Collectively the band has…
Railroad Town
There is a reason why some country and bluegrass songs have endured and become favorites. There’s nothing wrong with collecting a couple of handfuls of them and giving the people what they want from time to time. That’s what bluegrass veteran Junior Williams has delivered with Railroad Town, his first release for Mountain Fever records. …
Peripheral Visions
Grant Gordy is one of the leading contemporary practitioners of “Dawg Music.” “Dawg” is a style pioneered by mandolin master David Grisman back in the 1970s when he headed a quintet that featured, among others, guitarist Tony Rice and fiddle player Darrell Anger. This hybrid strain contains elements of bluegrass, gypsy jazz, bee-bop and so-called…
Two Friends
The Debutones hail from the Pacific Northwest around the Seattle, Washington area. The group is made up of Debby Nagusky (vocals), Don Share (guitar, vocals), Greg Glassman (bass, guitar, vocals), Bob Knetzger (resonator guitar, banjo, pedal steel), and Julian Smedley (violin, viola, vocals). For this new project the band members could not get together in…