Articles

MODES ON MANDOLIN: IMPROVING YOUR IMPROVISATION BY TODD COLLINS. Mel Bay 9780786685158. 140 pp., $24.99. (Mel Bay, #4 Industrial Dr., Pacific, MO 63069, www.melbay.com.) This book fills a gap in improvisation tutorials in that it serves as an introduction to something that many bluegrass pickers might be intimidated by—the theory and practice of scales and…

TRICKY BRITCHES GOOD COMPANY No Label No Number Just because you don’t know what to call something doesn’t mean you can’t like it. And so it goes with Good Company, the second offering from the band Tricky Britches. There might be a subtle hint there as to what segment this group wants to place itself…

JIM LAUDERDALE OLD TIME ANGELS Skycrunch Records No Number Below the surface of a couple or three songs on Jim Lauderdale’s latest project lurks a touch of modernity. It’s a slight nod to the fact that although these 11 songs sound old (and I mean old  as in written, recorded, and designed to sound that…

BARN DANCES & JAMBOREES ACROSS KENTUCKY—BY J.D. WILKES WITH A FOREWORD BY JOHN COHEN—History Press 9781626192683. Also available in eBook, 159 pp., $19.99. (History Press, 645 Meeting St., Ste. 200, Charleston, SC 29403, www.historypress.net.) What a fun and satisfying book! It makes me wish I was moving to Kentucky, getting ready to roam around the…

MARTEKA AND WILLIAM TRUE GRASS REVIVAL No Label No Number After my first listening to True Grass Revival by Marteka and William Lake, I knew what I was going to say: Wow! Marteka, at age 15, is already a banjo player who demonstrates much depth. She has obviously studied Earl Scruggs in detail, and she…

THE BANKESTERS LOVE HAS WHEELS Compass Records 7 4614 2 With their fifth CD, The Bankesters now shift to Compass Records and bring their bright, fresh sound, fine vocals, and ever-advancing instrumental chops. Most importantly, they and producer Alison Brown have corrected the minor flaws of their previous release. That self-titled CD had good overall…