Articles

GRAZZTRIO THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND Red Pigs Records 436039061873    I love the title of the Barcelona, Spain band’s debut CD, which is taken from the lead cut. Unlike the drunken escapades that might be expected from the song’s usual meaning, this three-piece experimental string band takes us on a serious frolic, covering a…

RANDY COOK AND COMMONWEALTH BLUEGRASS BAND No Label RCCBB2014    This is the debut recording for Randy Cook and Commonwealth Bluegrass Band from the Mechanicsville area of Virginia. Cook, the leader, is on mandolin. With him is longtime associate Malcolm Pulley on banjo. Both have deep roots in the Virginia bluegrass scene, including a stint…

BLUEGRASS EXPRESS IN OUR OWN WORDS Plum River PRP0114    The Underwoods have been playing bluegrass for a long time. It shows in the presence of their playing and singing. They’re at home with the contemporary style they bring to the music. It actually harkens back to the sound that the Osborne Brothers brought to…

LAND OF LINCOLN No Label No Number Along Rt. 1107 in mid-Kentucky lies the small town of Thelma. From that small town hails the Land of Lincoln bluegrass band, a well-rehearsed and hard-driving group consisting of Brad Powers (banjo), Ben Childers (guitar), Bruce Davis (mandolin), Mike Jarrell (guitar), and Michael Powers (bass). With Jarrell’s strong…

BLUE YONDER BITTERSWEET ROAD JaveLina Records JR-4584    Blue Yonder consists of John Lilly on vocals and rhythm guitar, Robert Shafer on lead/rhythm/electric guitar and mandolin, and Will Carter on bass fiddle. All ten songs are original compositions by John. In the liner notes, Larry Groce wrote, “Blue Yonder lives where classic country music meets…

IDLETYMES POOR MOUNTAIN HOME Poor Mountain Records No Number    Nearly thirty years as a band on any level doesn’t happen by accident. Southern Ohio and northern West Virginia’s Idletymes offers strong playing and singing with equal comfort on contemporary and traditional bluegrass material. Idletymes has developed into quite a good band and released this…