Articles

MICHAEL CLEVELAND AND FLAMEKEEPER ON DOWN THE LINE Compass Records 746342 This may be the best time ever in Michael Cleveland’s career. Known as one of the bluegrass world’s best fiddlers since he was very young, Cleveland and Flamekeeper have four IBMA Instrumental Group Of The Year nods and he has individually won nine IBMA…

OLD SOUTH THE HANGING TREE No Label No Number    Old South is a veteran bluegrass quintet hailing from Adelaide in southern Australia. They have experience, enthusiasm, a nice repertoire of original songs written in the traditional style, and a resonator guitarist named Leonard Cohen (who really should look into teaming up with the Seldom…

JOHN BOWMAN WORSHIP HIM Pisgah Ridge PR 15462    John Bowman’s last solo gospel recording was one given entirely to the songs of Joe Isaacs. This time, Bowman casts his song net a bit wider, mixing together a couple of traditional tunes—“God’s Not Dead” and “Summer’s Gone (My God Made It All)”—with songs both old…

AFTER JACK ECHO Travianna Records TR140422    After Jack is a trio of young ladies from the Virginia/North Carolina/Tennessee area and this is a mostly original project showing their strong influences of old-time, bluegrass, and Americana music. The trio is Mary Allison (guitar and percussion), Emily Blankenship (bass), and Rachel Blankenship (banjo, mandolin, and percussion)….

RACHEL BURGE AND BLUE DAWNING Mountain Fever Records MFR 140624    New to Mountain Fever Records and making their recording debut as a well is Rachel Burge and Blue Dawning. Burge is on mandolin. Lance Gainer plays guitar, Michele Birkby-Vance the fiddle, Radford Vance the banjo, and Rick Westerman the bass. Everyone shares in the…

THE HIGH 48s BLUEGRASS BAND GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD No Label No Number    Trains, trains, and more trains dominate the entire sixth recording from the High 48s, and why not? Trains have a strong hold on our music and our collective memory, even as they have less physical presence for us today. Interestingly, of the…