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SNYDER FAMILY BAND BUILDING BRIDGES Mountain Roads Recordings MRR-1017 For their fourth release, the Snyder Family Band moves almost completely out of the realm of recording covers or standards. Where their first release in 2008 was largely standards, as would be expected from a trio fronted by two very young musicians, each successive recording has…

MARK NEWTON AND STEVE THOMAS REBORN Pinecastle Records PRC 1185 “Old McDonald,” the opening track to the debut recording from veteran performers Mark Newton and Steve Thomas, is one of those songs that seem so obvious that you scratch your head wondering why it took so long to be written or why you didn’t think…

BENNETT SULLIVAN LADY NORA No Label No Number EPs (extended play) recordings used to be small records with more songs than the 45 rpm record, but less than a full LP (long play) album. We are seeing more short CDs called EPs. Here is another with six cuts and almost 17 minutes of music. The…

THE WILLIAMSON BROTHERS BLUEGRASS Flatt Mountain Records FMR 0004 The last time we heard from the Williamson Brothers on their excellent 2001 release Still Light Of The Evening, they were recording in two-track analog without overdubs, producing a sound that goes back to the early days of bluegrass recording. Twelve years on, only the method…

REBECCA FRAZIER WHEN WE FALL Compass Records 746032 Rebecca Frazier is a triple-threat performer. She sings with great conviction and polish in a manner and voice capable of both soft, half-whispered asides and of power and strong emotion. She plays guitar well enough to have been on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. And she…

JIMMY BOWEN AND SANTA FE THE SKY IS WEEPING Santa Fe Records SF-6889 Jimmy Bowen’s fifth record (fourth bluegrass) with his band Santa Fe offers a near textbook example of diverse song selection. There’s a little bit of everything (with the exception of an instrumental piece) drawing from sources old and new, and offering a…