Articles

THE KEVIN PRATER BAND WERE YOU THERE No Label No Number This is Prater’s full gospel release with a new band that includes Prater (mandolin, guitar), Tom Timberlake (banjo), Albon Clevenger (fiddle), Cole Spears (guitar), and Danny Stiltner (bass). Prater’s career with such bands as James King and Melvin Goins, as well as influential mentoring…

THE CLAIRE LYNCH BAND HOLIDAY Compass Records THR4121 The test of a good Christmas recording is to find yourself able to listen to it when it arrives within a few days of Old Christmas (January 6). Just about any of them will sound good in early December. One that sounds good when your ear has…

CHRIS COOLE AND IVAN ROSENBERG RETURN TO TRION Vole-O-Tone #004 This sophomore release is full of musical adventures from the fearless duo of Coole and Rosenberg from the frozen North Country. You have to keep the music hot in that clime. This Canadian duo is back after their release Farewell To Trion with an even…

WAYNE TAYLOR MOVIN’ ON Raincoe Music RM-07012014 A new Wayne Taylor project is always a joy to find in the mailbox. Wayne is a prolific songwriter and this new CD is chock-full of his songs. He’s joined in the studio by Dale Ann Bradley (vocals), Emory Lester (mandolin, guitar), Rickie Simpkins (fiddle), Gaven Largent (resonator…

NATE LEATH NATE LEATH AND FRIENDS, VOLUME 2 Patuxent Music CD-244 Nate Leath studied old-time music by playing a variety of bluegrass fiddlers’ conventions as a young boy in North Carolina. Then, he graduated to a formal education at the prestigious Berklee College of Music where Leath learned about a variety of genres. Now, he…

RANDALL HIBBITTS TRAVELER No Label No Number First Randall Hibbitts lands a spot as the bass player for Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, fulfilling as he states, a “lifelong dream.” Then, he releases his debut solo album, one which should bring him some recognition as a singer. Right now, he must be quite…