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EMISUNSHINE RAGGED DREAMS Little Blackbird Records No Number   Ragged Dreams is the fourth recording from this 13-year-old from East Tennessee. Born Emilie Sunshine Hamilton, her sound is less bluegrass and more country, folk, and Americana. Emi is backed on this project by her family band called Rain, consisting of her father Randall Hamilton (bass),…

BILLY DROZE TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN Rural Rhythm RUR-1138 The first thing to note about Billy Droze’s first album with Rural Rhythm Records is that it packs a one-two wallop with the opening two songs. To Whom It May Concern opens with the haunting “Kentucky Blue,” a soulful tune he wrote that raced up…

THE CHURCHMEN GOD HOLDS TOMORROW Mountain Fever MFR170901 Changes have come to The Churchmen since their last gospel recording. Original founders Keith Clark on bass and vocals and Gerald Harbour on mandolin and vocals are still here, as is five-year veteran Carroll Arnn on banjo and vocals. New to the group are a couple of…

BILLY STRINGS TURMOIL AND TINFOIL No Label No Number It seems like I’ve been following Billy Strings around for some time now. Frequent festival-goers tend to sit around and talk about the good and bad acts they’ve seen recently. Time after time, Billy Strings’ name comes up in a positive way. Folks have been mesmerized…

BARBARA JO KAMMER ONE SONG AT A TIME No Label BJK001 Barbara Jo Kammer is a Colorado Front Range singer and songwriter who performs mostly with her band, the Hippie Buckaroos. The group was named one of the Top Ten Cover Bands in Colorado in 2016 by Westword music magazine in Denver. One Song At…

ROOTS MUSIC IN AMERICA: COLLECTED WRITINGS OF JOE WILSON—EDITED BY FRED BARTENSTEIN—Univ. Of Tenn. Press 9781621903154. Paperback, $29.95. LUCKY JOE’S NAMESAKE: THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE AND OBSERVATIONS OF JOE WILSON—EDITED BY FRED BARTENSTEIN—Univ. Of Tenn. Press 9781621903161. Paperback, $29.95. (Univ. of Tenn. Press, 110 Conference Ctr., 600 Henley St., Knoxville, TN 37996, www.utpress.org.) Who was Joe…