Reviews

What You Need To Prove

Cassell was originally from Virginia but now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He is an excellent mandolinist having won championships at places like FrestGrass, Rockygrass, and others. He is also the 2020 IBMA’s “Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year.” He is a founding member of the Circus No. 9 contemporary bluegrass group, and has performed and collaborated…

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Snow White Memories

Irene Kelley is one truly gifted tunesmith who also happens to be blessed with a sweet, expressive voice.  Her many compositions have been recorded by everyone from Rhonda Vincent, Clair Lynch and the Osborne Brothers to Alan Jackson, Loretta Lynn and Trisha Yearwood. Kelley’s latest outing is yet another treasure trove of stylistically varied originals…

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Closer Than I’ve Ever Been

Daniel Crabtree, a gifted and divinely inspired songwriter with an engaging roughhewn vocal style, is a man on a mission.  As he explains in the press material accompanying his fifth album: “I believe a spiritual battle is going on inside man and the world …. As Christians, we should be willing to take on the…

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Still Standing

North Carolina’s Gospel Plowboys are a group seriously dedicated to spreading the word of Christ through music. The group is Michael Jenkins (guitar, vocals), Kris Miller (vocals), Andrew Brown (bass, mandolin, vocals), Alec McCallister (fiddle), David Brown (bass, vocals), and Peden Williams (banjo). Joining the band on this project is guest Chris Burton (banjo).  The…

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The Wishful Thinkers’  Hall of Fame

The Matchsellers are a mid-Western group based on the duo of Andrew Morris (guitar, vocals), and Julie Bates (fiddle, vocals). They are joined on this new project by Brian McCarty (mandolin, vocals), and Brandon Day (bass, vocals). The “Wishful Thinkers’ Hall Of Fame” is an imaginary collection of characters which the project purports to be…

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For Old Time’s Sake

Horseshoes & Hand Grenades have crafted a modern take on bluegrass featuring all the elements of traditional bluegrass you would expect to find, tight vocal harmonies, inventive soloing, and strong instrumental interplay, but delivered with a youthful energy, an engaging honesty, and a loose sense of fun, allowing them to exist as something new, a…

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