Reviews

Maybe it tells you what you need to know when along with guest artists listed in the liner notes are the noted and vintage instruments used to make the music on the album. That’s what you get with this CD re-issue of the 1987 vinyl release from Ed Schaeffer & Rattlesnake Hill titled Scene from…

Hailing from the Big River area around SE Missouri, the aptly named Riverbend is a five-piece band with a style rooted in traditional bluegrass. Over 11 tunes here, the band shows a deft hand with high tenor lead voices and the driving Monroe-style mandolin of Andy Navara to bring a very traditional sound to their…

It’s my honor to get to listen to this project by Caleb Bailey of Virginia, who has assembled 10 original vocal tunes into a must-have CD.  Bailey presents listeners with an all-star cast of artists who lend their musical and recording skills, resulting in one of the more memorable projects I’ve heard in a while. …

—New York: Ten Speed Press (2020)  Thirty years ago IBMA honored the late DJ Bill Vernon, who became estranged from his family after he left Wall Street for bluegrass record collecting. We located his brother, who turned out to collect classical records. Dust & Grooves illuminates 130 major collectors in many countries and genre in…

Daisy Caire It’s inspiring and heartwarming to encounter a young emerging talent like Northern Californian Daisy Caire. This 16-year-old is not just an enchanting singer and songwriter; she’s a fine fiddle player and guitar flatpicker to boot. Caire possesses a lovely sense of innocence and playfulness that’s simply irresistible. It comes through clearly in both…

Barry Abernathy There’s a moving story behind the genesis of banjo ace Barry Abernathy’s first solo record, which, space-wise, can’t be told here. Suffice it to say, this exquisite release is a labor of love that has been several years in the making. The array of celebrated guest artists enlisted here is also a measure…