THE FAMILY SOWELL

THE FAMILY SOWELL
FROM TEXAS TO TENNESSEE

Poor Mountain Records
No Number

The Family Sowell—a young, talented group of musicians—writes in the liner notes of their debut album about faith and how hard waiting can be. Listeners will find From Texas To Tennesseeto be worthy of the wait and a solid effort from the youngsters who had help from bluegrass notables such as Donna Ulisse, Jerry Salley, Rick Stanley, and Marc Rossi.

The band is made up of the Sowell siblings: Jacob, 21, (vocals/banjo/guitar); Joshua, 20, (vocals/guitar/mandolin); Naomi, 18, (bass); Abigail, (vocals/mandolin/guitar); John-Mark, 14, (vocals/fiddle); and Justus, 12, (vocals/resonator guitar). On the album, mother Cindy adds vocals, while father Guynn handles management.

From Texas To Tennesseeoffers a mix of familiar tunes and three originals to go with some offerings from other songwriters. “Pilgrims’ Prayer” is penned by Joshua and Naomi with Rossi, and is a testament to the band’s journey and faith. “Dusty Gravel Road” is from Guynn, John-Mark, and Salley and is a nice opening track. Ulisse teamed with Jacob and Abigail to write “God Knows Who He Is.” Listeners should enjoy the take on “I Am The Man, Thomas,” “Uncle Pen,” and the “Orange Blossom Special,” which was recorded live. There’s also a nice take on the contemporary Christian song “Good, Good Father.” All in all, this record is a nice debut effort from a young group of promising newcomers. (www.thefamilysowell.com)MKB