Articles

THE BYRON BERLINE BAND RUNAWAY Doublestop Music No Number Byron Berline built a good bit of his reputation playing in and among the California bluegrass and country rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s. Those bands had an affinity for bright, pop-influenced melodies and backing. They also didn’t shy away from covering rock tunes, nor…

THE DEL MCCOURY BAND & THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND AMERICAN LEGACIES McCoury Music/Preservation Hall Recordings MCM0015 Two of the most respected music forms, bluegrass and jazz, find a common ground from their roots that dig deep into the music culture of the American South in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. And who better to…

TONY HOLT & THE WILDWOOD VALLEY BOYS LOST HIGHWAYS & TREASURED MEMORIES Old Heritage Records OHR 1001 Tony Holt sings and Aubrey Holt writes, and all is right with the latest Wildwood Valley Boys CD. Of the fourteen songs on this recording, Aubrey wrote seven of them; songs of lost pride, lost love, a trucker’s…

THE STARDAY STORY: THE HOUSE THAT COUNTRY MUSIC BUILT BY NATHAN GIBSON WITH DON PIERCE Univ. Press of Miss., 9781604738308. Hardback, b&w photos, record listing, bibliography, index, 265 pp. (Univ. Press of Miss., 3825 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, MS 39211, www.upress.state.ms.us.) If you are a long-time bluegrass fan, chances are your record shelves are populated with…

BEN FREED AMERICAN IDLE No Label No Number Does an opening song necessarily announce the intent of an album? Not always, but “American Idle Hornpipe” from Ben Freed’s American Idle CD definitely sets the tone for the rest of this all-original instrumental project. First, we hear Ben’s banjo and Kenny Kosek’s fiddle playing an intricate…

CHASING BLUE No Label No Number The promotional material accompanying this debut CD by the New England quintet Chasing Blue emphasizes their youth. But while the band consists of Berklee School Of Music students and one recent graduate, their talent and poise give an ageless quality to this short six-track release. Built around original songs,…