ZINK & COMPANY

ZINK & COMPANY
IV

No Label
No Number

Corey Zink and his band are a fine example of that Northern bluegrass that takes many Southerners by surprise. But dang, they sure know what they’re doing up there. These guys have the sound, the songs, and the delivery to make it real. Mining country music, old and new, they create interesting and highly listenable bluegrass from songs such as “Fourteen Carat Mind,” “I’m Walking The Dog,” “Poison Love,” and “Mama Tried,” which is only natural since they aren’t the first to mine this rich vein, but they do it with style.

Even Zink’s original material stands tall in comparison. His “Hillbilly In The City,” complete with its country shuffle, sounds like jukebox fare from almost any time in the last sixty years. When they take on time-tested material like “Walking The Dog,” they add nice touches that give it new life.

His talented band includes John Roc on mandolin and baritone vocals, Keith Edwards on bass and tenor vocals, and Dan Menzone does a fine job on banjo. The last cut, “Road To Columbus,” features the fiddling of Gary Pomerleau who shines throughout the project. “Like Father, Like Son” features Zink’s father and son on harmonies and, while touching, it is more an act of love than a powerful musical statement.

This is music that will appeal to the fans of more traditional bluegrass music. The sentiments, the songs, and delivery all speak to another time when things at least seemed simpler. (www.zinkandco.com)RCB