Reviews

Apparently, being in one of the hottest bluegrass bands going wasn’t enough for Laura Orshaw, so she has put out a smoking solo album.  Solitary Diamond is loaded with well-known guests, but make no mistake—it is the jumping fiddle and strong vocals of Orshaw that get showcased in this must-have CD. There are a handful…

After four decades and nearly countless personnel changes, the Lonesome River Band remains as vital and energetic as ever on this robust 13-song outing, which features two new band members, Adam Miller (lead vocals and mandolin) and Kameron Keller (bass).    LRB’s impressive longevity owes in great part to bandleader and banjo master Sammy Shelor….

North Carolina native Frank Poindexter is uncle to the Rice Brothers, Tony, Larry, Wyatt, and Ron. Through Mountain Fever records and Dex Records, this unique and special project is the last studio session that Poindexter was to play with all four brothers. Sadly, Larry passed away in 2006 and Tony in 2020. This session has…

East Tennessee-based Alex Leach, former long-time guitar/banjo player and vocalist behind Ralph Stanley II, only just formed his own band, along with his wife Miranda, in late 2019. But he’s already carved out an impressive niche as a front man.  Both husband and wife are powerful singers. Alex has an appealing and intense high-lonesome vocal…

Andrew Collins, the talented Canadian mandolinist, composer and mando-family master, has a lot on his mind these days. “Throughout my years of playing music, community, collaboration and compassion have always been the cornerstone of it all,” Collins says explaining his decision to record the first solo album of his distinguished career following the lingering pandemic…

There are more than a few instances on this ambitious and vibrant song collection that seem to harken back to the forever-young heyday of late `60s and early `70s country rock and the formative sounds of bands like The Byrds, The Burrito Brothers and Poco. The key ingredient is a youthful sense of bravado leavened…