Reviews

Julie And John Pennell Keep On Walking JPE Records  JPE 0003 The Pennells are partners in life and song. They can move between the various forms of American music with ease. Julie sings in an expressive voice with a clarity that belies the subtly she imbues into each lyric. She and John wrote most of…

Ray Cardwell Just a Little Rain Bonfire Recording Company Anyone who pays more than a little attention to bluegrass music knows that for every band or solo artist who makes it to the “Big Show” there a countless other just as talented who are still out there somewhere waiting in the wings for their time…

Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road Bill Monroe’s Mandolin Pinecastle Records RC1242 Ms. Jordan is a mainstay on the bluegrass scene and her topnotch band delivers strong performances on each cut. Allen Dyer’s lead vocals set the tone along with Ben Greene’s fine banjo playing. Former band member, Josh Goforth shows up on the project playing fiddle…

David Grier Another Nashville Night   EMG10540 Out of thousands of options, if I could teleport back to any bluegrass “double secret” jam at IBMA, a particularly hot session at Winfield or Lexington, or a famous private jam, I’d probably pick the legendary house jams at Lamar Grier’s home. Here strode the high priests of…

Jeff Picker With the Bass in Mind Bassist Jeff Picker lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches bass and is currently a member of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder. He had previously spent a number of years playing with Sarah Jarosz, Mark O’Conner and others. Picker has been playing professionally since 15 and with his blend…

The Mountain Minor Motion Picture Soundtrack Alt452 Records The Mountain Minor is a 2019 film about a familiar story in the world of bluegrass and old-time music.  The theme is the transplanting of rural residents into a new unfamiliar setting and the role traditional elements—not the least of which is music—play in anchoring a sense…