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Alison Krauss + Union Station – Paper Airplane
ALISON KRAUSS + UNION STATION PAPER AIRPLANE Rounder Records 11661-9115-2 Alison Krauss + Union Station fans have been waiting since 2004 for a new release from this stellar outfit. The interim has seen members Dan Tyminski, Ron Block, Barry Bales, and Jerry Douglas pursuing independent projects, but Paper Airplane finds the five of them back…
Brandon Adams – Hardest Kind Of Memories
BRANDON ADAMS HARDEST KIND OF MEMORIES No Label A123 From the opening flurry of flatpicked notes kicking off this album’s initial track, a nimble instrumental called “Roberts Ride,” one can tell that this up-and-coming Kentucky singer, songwriter, and guitarist is a devotee of Tony Rice, but one who won’t leave the harder edges more associated…
Ian Walsh and Kevin Buckley – Keeping It Reel
IAN WALSH AND KEVIN BUCKLEY KEEPING IT REEL Mountain Rose Records No Number Much is made of the many connections between bluegrass and Irish music. Tim O’Brien did an excellent job of blending the dual traditions on his concept album The Crossing, and The Transatlantic Sessions recordings were a creative meeting ground between talented musicians…
Iron Horse – Horse And Pen
IRON HORSE HORSE AND PEN B-Sharp Records CD-003 Formed in Muscle Shoals, Ala., in 2000, this quartet has produced bluegrass tribute albums to Metallica, Led Zeppelin, and Ozzy Osbourne, among other rock acts, but their focus with Horse And Pen is on self-penned material. The ten-song, thirty-five minute results are well-planned and well-executed. Vance Henry…
James Reams and the Barnstormers – One Foot In The Honky Tonk
JAMES REAMS AND THE BARNSTORMERS ONE FOOT IN THE HONKY TONK Mountain Redbird Music MRM-CD-006 When the playing and the singing and the songwriting are working just right on James Reams and the Barnstormers’ third release, the album works as well, and the effect is quite a pleasure. That happens on about half the CD’s…
John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements – Hartford, Rice, Clements
JOHN HARTFORD, TONY RICE & VASSAR CLEMENTS HARTFORD, RICE, CLEMENTS Small Dog Barking No Number It’s commonplace for recordings to appear posthumously. Some artists left hours of recorded music behind. These gentleman worked and played together on and off for decades. They ran in the same circles, they blew off steam playing for the fun…