Reviews
Livin’ Large
Donna Ulisse is a superb, celebrated and oft-covered singer-songwriter whose ears and heart are finely attuned to the bluegrass mainstream. On her twelfth album her magic touch with lyrics and melody continues to impress. Ulisse wrote or cowrote eight of these 11 songs, and their power lies in the way she cuts straight to the…
Deeper Shade of Blue
This North Carolina-based powerhouse band, which marks its 20th anniversary with this impressive album, has just about everything going for it, including four talented lead singers, robust harmonies and a strong in-house supply of original material. Deeper Shade of Blue also represents a delightful and valuable throwback to the formative mainstream bluegrass styles of the…
Doc Watson Life’s Work: A Retrospective
Life’s Work: A Retrospective creates an audio documentary of Doc Watson’s musical career from his early days to the end of his career. Over 101 tracks presented on four CDs and extensive liner notes, Life’s Work shows the astounding musical range and guitar innovative that made Arthel “Doc” Watson an international star in folk music…
She’s Leaving Cheyenne
For his newest release, John Lowell—the 2021 Winner of the Hazel Dickens Songwriting Contest—brings us a collection of songs with a Western theme. Lowell—a longtime Montana resident—is a veteran performer, guitar player, and songwriter with over thirty-five years of experience. He will be best known to bluegrass fans for his work with the bands Loose…
Beating The Odds
Chicgoland’s Eric Lambert has distinguished himself over his career as one of the top flatpickers in the Midwest. A devotee of Clarence White and Tony Rice, Lambert creates bold, clear-voiced guitar solos that capture the spirit of his heroes without parroting them. On his new CD, Beating The Odds, Lambert recruited some of the area’s…
Ups, Downs and No Name Towns
Don’t think that it is hype or marketing hyperbole to read that Sideline’s latest album, Ups, Downs and No Name Towns is their best project to date. For a group that literally started as a part time gig for a group of outstanding pickers—hence the name, Sideline—it is a big statement to claim “best.” After…