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DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER, OPEN CAREFULLY, MESSAGE INSIDE
DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER OPEN CAREFULLY, MESSAGE INSIDE Mountain Home MH15652 Doyle Lawson has put together many versions of his band Quicksilver over the last three decades. There have been times when just the right group of musicians have been in the fold, yet there have been other periods when up-and-coming stars leave to…
TIM STAFFORD, JUST TO HEAR THE WHISTLE BLOW
TIM STAFFORD JUST TO HEAR THE WHISTLE BLOW Hedge Drive Records HDR01 Tim Stafford had a hand in writing all but “Red Wing” among these 14 tracks. All five of the original instrumentals he wrote solo, each stylistically different and several worthy of extra mention, including “Father Nelson,” a minor-key fiddle tune that is…
AL JONES & THE SPRUCE MOUNTAIN BOYS, HARD CORE BLUEGRASS
AL JONES & THE SPRUCE MOUNTAIN BOYS HARD CORE BLUEGRASS Patuxent Music CD-249 The name Al Jones brings to mind several albums he cut with partner Frank Necessary in the 1980s. Jones was a major influence on the traditional bluegrass scene in the Washington, D.C., area starting in the 1960s, having performed with Earl Taylor’s…
KATHY BARWICK, BRAEBURN
KATHY BARWICK BRAEBURN FGM Records FGM-237 On this, her second solo CD, Kathy Barwick enhances her growing reputation as a sensitive and imaginative interpreter of American and Celtic fiddle tunes. Playing guitar, resonator guitar, banjo, mandolin, Weissenborn guitar, and even bass, the former All Girl Boy from central California has assembled another stellar collection…
THE DOWNHILL BLUEGRASS BAND, WONDERLAND
THE DOWNHILL BLUEGRASS BAND WONDERLAND Limestone House Music LHM024 Often it seems the voice of a singer can influence the type of song he/she writes. And so it is with the Downhill Bluegrass Band. On their fifth release, the songwriting is divided almost fifty/fifty between mandolinist Jonas Kjellgren (six) and guitarist Mikael Grund (five),…
EBBY JEWELL & THE BLUEGRASS KINSMEN, RENEWAL
EBBY JEWELL & THE BLUEGRASS KINSMEN RENEWAL TBK Recordings TBK-2014-001 This if the fifth album from this Virginia band. Upon Shelby Jewell’s retirement from the band, his brother Ebby and Ebby’s wife, Teresa, took over. They wrote all of the material on this release, with picking help from Darrell Webb on guitar and mandolin, Greg…