Articles

KRISTY COX NO HEADLIGHTS Mountain Fever MFR200100    Kristy Cox started as a mountain girl from the South. That is, from the town of Mount Barker in Southern Australia. Since then, she’s joined many outstanding performers from Australia and New Zealand who’ve found success in America and beyond. Her fine new album No Headlights (her sixth overall…

CRARY, EVANS & BARNICK PRIME TIME Native and Fine Records 906-12 These three veteran musicians bring a sophisticated program of Americana and bluegrass imbued with a warmth that is welcoming and winsome. It’s hard to believe that Dan Crary is 80 when you hear this recording. His voice and musicianship are as sharp and clear…

IRON HORSE CLASSIC BLUEGRASS VOLUME 1 No Label No Number Iron Horse, working from the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama, has released Classic Bluegrass Volume 1 as their seventeenth full recording project. You may know them from twelve CMH recordings on their tribute projects to such groups as Metallica and Ozzy Osborne, to name just a couple….

SIERRA HULL 25 TRIPS Rounder Records 1166100579 On her latest CD 25 Trips, former mandolin prodigy turned multi-talented performer Sierra Hull delivers a distinct musical statement that explores the broad range of musical options an artist can build starting from a base in undiluted bluegrass. As many of her contemporaries like Sarah Jarosz, Chris Thile, Molly…

JEREMY GARRETT CIRCLES Organic Records OR18742 This is an adventurous and powerful outing from Jeremy Garrett, best known as fiddler for the Infamous Stringdusters. When not touring with the ’Dusters, he’s an innovative singer/songwriter. During solo performances, he electronically loops instruments and vocals to create a multi-element sound well-suited to his impassioned performance style. Here,…

JIM LAUDERDALE WHEN CAROLINA COMES HOME Yep Roc Records YEP-2695X Lauderdale has recorded over thirty albums and now has another on the North Carolina based Yep Roc label, saluting his home state and employing a gaggle of Carolina artists to boot. Right off, this is a very enjoyable effort with 13 songs, all written by…