Articles

BOURBON BARREL CONGRESS No Label No Number    There’s always been a general consensus that an album, especially a debut album, should give a balanced representation of what kind of music a band plays. On this self-titled CD, Bourbon Barrel Congress, a quintet from central Virginia, is either remarkably diverse or else hasn’t quite made…

RICHARD BENNETT IN THE WIND SOMEWHERE Lonesome Day Records LDR 041    Scanning down the list of ten songs on Richard Bennett’s new CD, the temptation is to jump ahead to the six (of seven total) covers that close the recording to see how Bennett and guests Steffey, Stewart, Schatz, Rice, and Lane interpret them….

JUSSI SYREN & THE GROUNDBREAKERS THERE’S NO GREATER MESSAGE Snowflake Records JSGCD 23102    Jussi Syren should not be unfamiliar to readers of BluegrassUnlimited. Hailing from Finland, he has had a number of recordings reviewed here and has showcased a number of times at the IBMA’s World Of Bluegrass. His musical taste ranges across the…

VARIOUS ARTISTS YOU ARE THERE: CLASSIC EARLY FILMS OF LEGENDARY PERFORMERS, 1952-54 Shanachie 622DVD    Albert C. Gannaway, Jr., (1920-2008) was years ahead of his time. A noted film and television producer and songwriter, he had written songs for Nat King Cole, Bob Hope, Frankie Lane, and collaborated with Johnny Mercer on others. He produced several…

RACHEL EDDY NOTHIN’ BUT CORN No Label No Number    Rachel Eddy’s musical journey is an interesting one and international in scope. She is a very talented musician from West Virginia who grew up in a musical family. Eddy’s dad expertly played the “don’t touch my fiddle” trick when she was a kid, hoping his…

JOHNNY CAMPBELL AND THE BLUEGRASS DRIFTERS Let’s Pick LP-001    It’s refreshing to hear traditional bluegrass played with drive and vigor and sung from the heart. This outfit does just that. Out of the gate, they hit it hard with the old number “Gospel Plow.” They have picked some fine gems to include on this…