Articles

NOAM PIKELNY PLAYS KENNY BAKER PLAYS BILL MONROE Compass Records 4616 With a lineup led by Noam Pikelny on banjo with Mike Bub on bass, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Bryan Sutton on guitar, there’s no reason to wonder about the musical quality of this third recording by Pikelny for Compass….

THE GIBSON BROTHERS THEY CALLED IT MUSIC Compass Records 745992 Eric and Leigh Gibson are at their best when writing and harmonizing about people in a state of quiet desperation and in search of some sort of emotional or spiritual reprieve. This is to say they shine brightest when writing and singing about people like…

HILLBENDERS CAN YOU HEAR ME? Compass Records 7 4585 2 Newgrass Revival left a significant mark behind them in their two decades of existence, influencing numerous groups. Their combination of complex arrangements, impassioned vocals, instrumental virtuosity, and pop sensibility in a bluegrass context set a high standard for progressive acoustic bands to follow. The Hillbenders,…

GRITS & SOUL FLOOD WATERS No Label No Number Up from Mississippi, now working out of Asheville, N.C., Grits & Soul is the duo of Anne Kline and John Looney. Though she plays guitar, Kline here appears only as a singer, although to say “only” in any context about her singing is a mistake. She…

SI KAHN AND THE LOOPING BROTHERS ARAGON MILL: THE BLUEGRASS SESSIONS Strictly Country Records SCR-72 American songwriter Si Kahn and Europe’s Looping Brothers trio have joined forces to produce a project of Kahn’s compositions, including his most known “Aragon Mill” and “Wild Rose Of The Mountain.” Kahn is a folk singer/songwriter best known for his…

THE VELVET BLUE MEMORIES AND HEARTACHES No Label No Number The Velvet Blue is a relatively new band out of Hillsboro, Ky. Formed in 2012, the band is Brian Cooper on guitar and lead vocals, Carrie Johnson on bass and lead vocals, Taylor Hampton on mandolin, and Megan McKamey on banjo and harmony. Their debut…