Articles

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…

BOB DICK LIFE’S HIGHWAY Appleland Records 2014 This new project from a talented New England musician is a retrospection of his extensive music career. The project contains selections from some of the groups and individuals he’s played and recorded with over the years, including Front Range, the Seldom Scene, Tom Gray, Roger Williams, his brother…

VARIOUS ARTISTS THE HAYLOFT GANG: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL BARN DANCE Hayloft Gang Prod. 369287  The National Barn Dance, which originated in 1924 from WLS in Chicago, was the first of the radio barn dance shows to have both longevity and national recognition. (The Grand Ole Opry began in 1925.) Many of its early…

VARIOUS ARTISTS DEAR JEAN: ARTISTS CELEBRATE JEAN RITCHIE Compass Records 7 4631 2    Jean Ritchie is an amazing musician whose work has influenced artists from many genres. A native of southeastern Kentucky, she is not only known as an accomplished songwriter and performer, but she’s also hailed as a songcatcher who revived much older tunes that…