RED WINE

RED WINE
CAROLINA RED: VINTAGE 1978

Red Wine Music
RW 009

Red Wine celebrates its 40th anniversary with its release of Carolina Red: Vintage 1978. That is no small feat for any band, and a special accomplishment for a bluegrass group from Italy. Silvio Ferretti plays banjo and is the only member from the original band. His long time bandmate and friend, Martino Coppo, has played mandolin with Red Wine for 37 years. The current version of Red Wine has been together for over seven years and is rounded out by Marco Ferretti on guitar (yes, he is Silvio’s son) and Lucas Bellotti on electric bass. Coppo provides most of the lead vocals, and the other band members add occasional lead vocals and harmony vocals.

Red Wine’s sound is generally that of a contemporary bluegrass band. However, bits of Americana, newgrass, old-time, and Italian heritage are infused into the songs. Most of the songs here are original from writers such as Gary Ferguson, Shane Sullivan, and Si Kahn. Silvio Ferretti co-wrote “Nancy Ann” with Gary Ferguson as well as the old-time instrumental “MC Caleb” on which he plays nice clawhammer banjo. Three cover songs on the project include Tom Petty’s “American Girl,” Merle Haggard’s “Somewhere Between,” and Norman Blake’s “Randall Collins.” An interesting bit of Italian heritage is heard on Kathy Kallick’s nice rendering of “La Canzone Dell’amore Preduto (The Song Of The Lost Love).” All of the songs on Carolina Redare delivered well, instrumentally and vocally, and produced nicely by Jens Kruger.

This CD is an enjoyable project by a noteworthy band that reminds us that not only kids from the United States get bitten by the bluegrass bug and play the music with passion for a lifetime. (www.redwinemusic.net)TK