CD Review - Davis Bradley - CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF

On the runway this week at the Prescription Bluegrass Airport we have the first recording effort of the Virginia based duo, Davis Bradley, ( that's Kathy Davis and Brad Bishop) entitled: CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF.

Having met less than a year ago, brought together by their love of music, Kathy and Brad filed a flight plan to start a band and play music together. Since that time they have played over 125 “gigs” and have opened for headliners such as The Boxcars. Performing at festivals, wineries and coffee houses. This inaugural CD of 12 selections includes half Davis Bradley originals and half covers of “Bluegrass/Country tunes.” All this without the inconvenience of a TSA pat-down.

Most of the essential ingredients for a successful, airplay worthy album are all here. The recording, engineering, artwork and production are first class. However, repeated listenings found me wishing that Brad and Kathy would have waited a little longer before heading into the recording studio. In the case of Cleared For Takeoff, eight months clearly was not an adequate amount of time for the duo to get their vocal, harmonic and technical intricacies dialed in. Believe me when I say that it is difficult for me to be a Debbie Downer here. But apply any analogy you like; a baseball glove, fine wine, a guitar, a pair of boots, even bananas. They all get better with age and must be given time to work out the kinks and let time, chemistry and familiarity work their magic.

CD REVIEW - The Claire Lynch Band - HOLIDAY

One of the cool things about Christmas music, at least since the dawn of the recording era, is being able to hear one's favorite artists put their own twist on familiar Christmas classics. Bing did it. Elvis did it. The Beatles did it too. I like the concept of time tested classics getting tweaked to fit the artist's style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Right Miley?

The timing couldn't be better for Claire Lynch to finally get around to recording a scrumptious Christmas album. Oh yes it works, it works just fine. Claire herself admits that this CD is long overdue and “the fates have allowed” it to come to fruition. The result was worth waiting for and would make an excellent addition to anyone's Christmas music collection. Especially if you lean heavily in the all acoustic direction. Which, if you are reading Prescription Bluegrass reviews, you are already bitten.

CD Review - John Mailander - WALKING DISTANCE

For me, one of the more selfish reasons of going to a bluegrass festival, either as a paid performer or spectator, is the prospect of getting into a good after hours jam. Those prospects are akin to a company picnic raffle. Sometimes you get squat. Sometimes you win a crummy frisbee with the company logo on it. But, once in a while you get lucky and go home with a new TV or  barbeque grill.

On an August weekend in 2011 at Vista California's Summergrass Bluegrass Festival my selfishness paid off.  A small impromptu jam erupted under the dim lights of the snack bar canopy. It began as most jams begin. Old Blue Sound tech Alvin Blaine and I were noodling around on guitar and banjo. Sawmill Road was performing that weekend and lucky for us mandolinist Mark Miracle showed up to pick a few.

CD Review - Feller & Hill - HERE COME FELLER & HILL AGAIN!

“Here Come Feller & Hill Again,” is one of those CD’s that for me, slipped through the cracks. I’ve been too scattered, for too long, to get the review I wanted to write even started, much less finished! I just about had the first copy of the CD the boys sent me worn out when it disappeared somewhere between Oklahoma and Colorado……where it went I do not know, but, I swear I’m never movin’ again! I loved their first release, and in my review of it, I said that it should be in the running for the IBMA “Album of the Year” award, and I meant it. For an artist to have their first recording be so focused, personalized and recognizable is unheard of, but Tom and Chris pulled it off in spectacular fashion. With this new one, (to keep from getting confused, I refer to it as #2,) the boys have stepped up their game considerably and it is every bit as good, or better, than their debut CD was. With liner notes written by none other than Tom T. Hall, this is another first class project from Tom and Chris, and, as with their first release, it’s also on Tom T’s Blue Circle Records.

CD Review: Tim Stafford - JUST TO HEAR THE WHISTLE BLOW!

The first time I ever saw the name Tim Stafford in print was in the liner notes of a 1990 holiday CD that my good friend Butch Baldassari had produced and recorded.

The title was “Evergreen – Mandolin Music for Christmas.” Evergreen was made famous by none other than The Weather Channel. During the holiday seasons of those early 90's, Evergreen was the background music as graphics for your local weather scrolled across the screen.

It was a perfect fit. Soothing acoustic Christmas music on a winters day. Cold weather sold a lot of copies of that now classic recording, and the deft guitar work of Tim Stafford was exposed.

CD Review: Crowe, Lawson & Williams - STANDING TALL AND TOUGH

A few years back, in keeping with the rulebook governing the average male's mid-life crisis, I purchased a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28. Yes, it was as sweet as the picture that just popped into your head. One of my challenges, aside from avoiding speeding tickets, was finding someone that knew how to work on these no-frills, all gas and guts, non-computer assisted muscle cars.

I managed to find the perfect guy. He had worked as a factory trained mechanic at a Chevrolet dealership from the early 60's through the early 90's. He was as happy to be able to work on a “real” car as I was to put my trust in him. He knew how and why that car was built and knew how to extract every ounce of horsepower it had to give. No doubt, old school.

 

CD Review - Phil Leadbetter - THE NEXT MOVE

In 2005, The IBMA named Phil Leadbetter it’s Dobro Player of the Year, and his album, “Slide Effects” was the IBMA Instrumental Album Of The Year. 2005 was a very good year for Phil! Jump to the present, and the IBMA again voted Phil Dobro Player of the Year for 2014…. AND, from the sound of his newest release, “The Next Move,” Phil has another hit record on his hands!

I’ll bet if you could steal Phil’s cell phone, there wouldn’t be a major bluegrass or country star in Tennessee that you couldn’t call……. Just by going over the list of famous names who participated in the recording of this CD, you’ve got the cream of the crop all adding hot licks and memorable vocals to “The Next Move.” AND… the songwriters who threw their best tunes into this project is pretty astounding, too. I’ve been a Phil Leadbetter fan for a long time, and it’s pretty obvious that Phil has a lot of other fans that really do love the man. They all showed up for this party!

CD REVIEW - HOT RIZE - WHEN I'M FREE

Sometimes it takes getting out and going to a LIVE concert for me to remember just how powerful music can be…..  I had not heard the new HOT RIZE release, “When I’m Free” when I had the chance to see them here in Durango, CO. at Fort Lewis College on September 24th. As each new song was introduced on stage, the impact these new songs had on me was immediate! The level of songwriting, the depth of the lyrics and the freshness of the performance of these new tunes stood out like a neon sign in a one horse town!

In my review of their concert, I made the statement that “HOT RIZE is back”, and after listening to this CD for days on end now, they are indeed back, and they are better than ever.  The band, Nick Forster on electric bass, Pete Wernick on banjo, Bryan Sutton on acoustic lead guitar and Tim O’Brien on mandolin, guitar and fiddle, plays with a precise musicianship and focused intensity that has only grown stronger with time.

CD Review - Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper - ON DOWN THE LINE

I've been around a lot of fiddle players in my time. Hundreds of jams, bands and listenings. I've heard my share of fiddle players.

I've “had” to sit through numerous fiddle contests featuring a category for virtually every age group and then some. Junior, Junior Junior, Teen, Adult, Senior, Senior Senior and Open. It's a great way to burn up a 3 day festival.

Having been exposed to this phenomenon, sometimes awe inspiring, sometimes excruciating, I have never heard or seen a fiddle player work a violin so hard as Michael Cleveland.

Yes, this is a good thing. If you've seen a live performance you know exactly what I am referring to. The quality of tone, precision, drive and innovation he pulls out of that delicate little instrument, and oh those chops, puts Michael in a class of his own.

CD Review - Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper - ON DOWN THE LINE

Michael Cleveland is a nine time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Assn. (IBMA) Fiddle Player of the Year Award, and he’s up for it AGAIN in 2014! Listen to his newest CD, “ON DOWN THE LINE,” and you’ll know why in an instant!

A lot of fancy words get bandied around to describe his playing, all true, I must say, but…. in my humble opinion, what Michael has, in ample supply, is plain old simple FEEL! Feel can change with the tempo, the time signature, the genre of the song and a thousand other intangible aspects. For an instrumentalist to format his playing to enhance a good SONG, and all of a good song’s many elements, and to show that specific song off as beautifully as it needs and deserves to be, THAT is a musician being true to who he is. Cleveland puts his soul and passion into making the song the star. Let’s face it, the listener doesn’t always remember the person singing or playing the song, but…. they always remember the song, and the song is the final winner of every popularity contest. From what I’ve heard of Michael Cleveland, his FEEL is his strongest asset. There is simply no weakness in his playing, just turn him loose on anything, and he will make it shine, knowing exactly what to play, or, more importantly, what not to play. Michael can be the best friend a good song ever had.

CD Review - The Roys - THE VIEW

Lee and Elaine Roy are a brother-sister duo that largely features their considerable vocal and songwriting talents. Both have beautiful voices that enmesh nicely with each other. Elaine plays guitar and Lee plays mandolin and they are well-supported on this effort by Daniel Patrick on banjo and reso guitar, Clint White on fiddle and Erik Alvar on bass.

The View offers up eleven original cuts, including one instrumental, with the title cut sharing writing credit with longtime Country Music luminary, Bill Anderson. Their overall presentation on The View is well within the boundaries of what most would consider ‘Bluegrass,’ though they probably wouldn’t be characterized as “traditional” Bluegrass by most enthusiasts.

Elaine’s voice is ever-so-slightly salty, but gilded: smooth and clear with character and presence. She’s easy to listen to and well establishes her ability with fine lead-vocal work on the opening cut, No More Lonely, as well as on No More Tears (one of my favorites), Sometimes (a tribute to adults dealing with dementia-afflicted loved ones), Mended Wings and The View.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews: Larry Sparks LONESOME and THEN SOME - A CLASSIC 50th CELEBRATION

An old friend of mine had recommended that I get Larry Sparks’ “40” CD seven or eight years ago…… she had worked on the recording and engineering of “40” and her enthusiasm for it, I found out in time, was more that justified. She’s good about steering me towards the “good” stuff, and I think she knew it would teach me plenty, if I would just take the time and really listen.

I did listen, and I learned so much about the depth, strength, history and pure power of bluegrass music from that CD, a recording I still listen to regularly. When Larry’s newest, “Lonesome and Then Some….. A Classic 50^th Celebration” arrived, it jumped right to the top of the pile! It’s been here two days and I’m already writing this review. What does THAT tell you? At this rate it’ll be worn out by Labor Day!

CD REVIEW: DETOUR - GOING NOWHERE FAST

Just so the gentle reader knows, I am being real careful here. My intent is to insure that I not overstate my delight with Michigan based bluegrass band Detour's latest release “Going Nowhere Fast.”

If you trust me, save yourself the burden of further reading and simply order, buy or download this CD now. If you don't trust me me, how dare you? Read on.

I would like to loosely quote icon Steve Martin in which he laments that “ ...a lot of bluegrass bands today sound alike. You can't tell one from the other when listening to a song on the radio.” Well said Steve, and you know Mr. Martin is right. If not for the artist identification technology of Sirius XM and other radio stations or a D.J. chiming in at the end of a song, most bands would go unrecognized. This is where Detour has an absolute advantage over the scores of today's bluegrass bands scratching and clawing for recognition. Listen to Detour's lead vocalist Missy Armstrong sing one song, just one, and you will never, ever, be in the dark about who's voice that is or what band you are listening to again. It has always been a quirk of mine to hit the rewind button in order hear again just a few notes of a good guitar lick or a nasty little mandolin fill. I caught myself backing up this CD over and over just to hear Missy sing the opening line,“Early on one Saturday...” to kick off Jeff Rose' “Train, Train.” Missy Armstrong's voice is a pure velvety tone and perfectly matches the vibe of this band.

Prescription Bluegrass CD Review - GRITS & SOUL Flood Waters!

I find myself drawn to new music that expands the borders of traditional music, that edginess is what I search for. That first generation of bluegrass and country music innovators is what I was raised on; and, I can’t remember a time when my parents weren’t listening to the latest hits when I was a kid. But, pushing those boundaries and adding different nuances and personalities to the traditional mix excites me!

Sometimes the experimentation is a total failure, but, when it works, and some new inflection is added to that “old” mix, my ears tell my heart to listen up and pay attention. That’s the case with the release of FLOOD WATERS, by the duo/band “Grits & Soul.“

Anna Kline and John Looney have written eleven songs that take me right back to the music of my formative years. They have a real grip and feel for that old sound, and, they’ve got the talent and intestinal fortitude to do it their own way, today!

PRESCRIPTION BLUEGRASS REVIEWS: Red June - Ancient Dreams

I wasn't ready for Red June. I looked over the CD cover and grazed over the liner notes. I saw the word “Organic.” I saw a non Martin guitar, a fiddle and a Dobro. I was in full Snob mode. My mind was made up. How can this be any good?

Then Red June took me to school. They took me to school and made me stay after. You'll not hear any hot banjo tunes or breakdowns on this CD. None needed. Red June doesn't roll like that. They are all about their original material. Original material that is tastefully arranged and faultlessly executed. I like this band.

PRESCRIPTION BLUEGRASS REVIEWS: GENTLEMEN OF BLUEGRASS - Carolina Memories!

As I started to listen to this CD, “Carolina Memories,” by The Gentlemen Of Bluegrass, I couldn’t help but think of my Mother.

The word “gentleman” is one of those key words in my memory bank. It’s Mother’s Day and Mom’s been gone now since January 4^th of 2011. She always told my brother and me that we needed to be gentlemen: open doors for the ladies, pull out their chairs for them at the dinner table, make sure we had a handkerchief (which she used to iron!) in our pants pocket and to use it if we needed to sneeze!

She also urged us to be gentle MEN. The first was not hard to remember, she reminded us frequently…the second was not always easy to accomplish.

 

Prescription Bluegrass CD Review: MohaviSoul - Blue Diesel

I have often daydreamed about how great it would be to live in a town or part of the country where you couldn't swing a dead cat without hitting a fiddle, banjo or mandolin player.

I know these places exist and it's not just Nashville, Tennessee. Some parts of the country produce pickers like Hawaii does pineapples. I admit that most of these coveted communities are located on the eastern half of the continent. Places where the problem isn't finding a jam, it's deciding which one to go to, and then you walk there.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews - Johnny Campbell & The Bluegrass Drifters

“ ... This CD is proof that traditions are still being passed from generation to generation. Thanks to guys like Johnny Campbell, this music will never fade.”

                                                                                   - Marty Warburton / Prescription Bluegrass

os·mo·sis [ oz-moh-sis ] noun  1. a subtle or gradual absorption due to association or mingling: “Some of the students neglected to study, but seemed to learn by osmosis.”

Upon giving Johnny Campbell's self titled CD several rides in the F-150 listening room I vowed that I would use the word “osmosis” somewhere in this review. I just did. Why go there? I'm glad you asked.

Johnny is a third generation fiddle player that grew up in Nashville, Tennessee. Not only did Johnny's Dad and Grandpa play fiddle, but his older brother Jimmy played fiddle extensively with Jim & Jesse as well as Bill Monroe.

Here is a fact of musical reality; When you grow up around a Grandpa that plays fiddle, and you grow up in a house where your Dad and brother plays fiddle, you are setting your self up for this whole “osmosis” phenomenon.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews MA CROW & THE LADY SLIPPERS - Memory Of A Mountain

25 years ago the idea of women playing bluegrass, serious bluegrass, was still a novelty.

There was a smattering of female artists and bands back then, Lynn Morris, Laurie Lewis, Gina Britt, Deanie Richardson, The New Coon Creek Girls, The Good Ol' Persons (sorry Paul Shelasky) and Claire Lynch just to name a few.

Just to name a few I said...no letters please. But none really ever rose to national prominence. Even the Dixie Chicks went unnoticed until they dropped their bluegrass image and went mainstream country.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews - BLUEGRASS EXPRESS - In Our Own Words

If you want to record a bluegrass CD and make sure it is special, unique and individualized, keep it in the family! That rule of thumb seems to work for the Underwood family band, BLUEGRASS EXPRESS, from Illinois.

Three generations of musical talent have put a familial ring to their new project, “In Our Own Words.” All twelve songs have been written by either the Underwood Patriarch, Gary, his son Greg or grandson Jacob.

The CD kicks off with one of Jacob’s compositions, “The Road Ends.” Jacob drives the song with a first class banjo intro and solo, and takes it out with a solid performance.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews - Johnny Campbell & The Bluegrass Drifters !

Before the days of home computers, digital terminology and ProTools, and before genre-bending Bluegrass influences like Doyle Lawson, Tony Rice and Alison Krauss, Bluegrass music was a simpler, more ‘earthy’ concoction.

With this recording effort, Johnny Campbell re-creates a pre-digital recording session where musicians gather around a single microphone in the studio and play until something is ‘good enough.’

This approach obviously has pros and cons. Gone is the prevailing ‘slickness’ of modern recordings. Also, there is no separation of instruments and voices, so the balance and mix is marginal.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews CIRCA BLUE - A Darker Blue!

After listening to “A Darker Blue” several times over several days and after reading the twelve panels of liner notes and lyrics in the CD case, I feel I've gotten to know Circa Blue fairly well. With the release of “A Darker Blue” this Virginia based group throws their hat in the crowded ring of bluegrass bands looking to be heard above the din. Not an easy task, but this is a band that knows how to dig in, this is a band that knows how to make instruments hit on all eight. This band knows how to drive.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews - MIPSO - Dark Holler Pop

If you have never heard of the North Carolina band Mipso, you are most likely not alone. The group formed in 2010 when Jacob Sharp (mandolin), Wood Robinson (double bass), and Joseph Terrell (guitar), came together to create a sound that crosses various music styles.

According to Mipso’s website, the renegade traditionalists are doing their part to take three-part harmony and Appalachian influences to the next level. If you prefer traditional bluegrass groups, Mipso may not be the group for you. However, if you are looking for a different sound or something that, while not a highly complex band by some standards, but rather a fun jam band, Mipso is a group to explore.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews Walt Crider and the Old Time Way - The Ballad of Johnny Anderson

All across America , and the world for that matter, there are bluegrass bands cut from the same cloth as Walt Crider and the Old Time Way.

These bands, these people, are the life blood that perpetuates this music from one generation to the next. Unless you are from the Pennsylvania area chances are that you have never heard of this band until now.

But those same odds say that you have more than likely heard this band's counterparts on the small stages, local festivals, and VFW halls of your own neck of the woods.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews STEEP RAVINE - "Trampin' On"

The San Francisco based acoustic quartet Steep Ravine recently released their debut CD project, Trampin’ On, which features eleven original cuts, including two instrumentals.

There’s not much in the way of traditional or non-traditional Bluegrass music here: not a single banjo note on the entire project and only on rare occasion does the tempo exceed slow to medium.

However, their level of instrumental mastery, combined with fine vocals and spot-on arrangements will appeal to all but the saltiest Bluegrass purists.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews: Charlsey Etheridge MEMORIES of MINE!

Having been a CD reviewer for Prescription Bluegrass in the past, as well as having written for various other publications including my own, it came as no large surprise when I received a package in the mail from a music publishing company containing a few CD’s that were hoping for my attention.

When you are a published reviewer, all sorts of offerings come your way shouting for attention, and they can run the gamut from pretty darn good to just plain miserable. So it was with mixed emotion that I opened one of the CDs and approached the stereo.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews: Rhonda Vincent - Only Me!

With the release of Only Me, Rhonda Vincent has done something unique for listeners at a time when many believe the line between Bluegrass and Country is blurring.

Not only has Rhonda produced a multi-genre release, she has attempted to separate the genres by marketing a Bluegrass CD and a Country CD under a single title.

While it seems that Rhonda wanted to give listeners two clearly independent CD’s, the project leans more towards, what I consider, a Traditional Country project with a few Bluegrass songs mixed in.

Like some, I was surprised when it was announced that the Queen of Bluegrass was going to be producing a Bluegrass and Country project and somewhat confused as to why the 2014 SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America) Entertainer of the Year would make such a stylistic statement. Was she going to try her hand at Country music once again? Was she looking to broaden her fan base and offer a wider array of music to those attending her concerts? On the other hand, was Rhonda simply looking to fill a niche that seems to be missing for some listeners?

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews: Irene Kelley - PENNSYLVANIA COAL

“Pennsylvania Coal” is a refreshing gathering of music and musicians alike.

It has been 10 years since veteran Nashville songwriter and small town Pennsylvania native Irene Kelley released a collection of original songs. As a tribute to her coal mining grandfather, there are 12 new original songs on “Pennsylvania Coal”, all of which were either written or co-written by Kelley.

Repeated listenings of “Pennsylvania Coal” pay off with discoveries of tasteful lead instrumental work and layered harmonies. Read the liner notes and you will see why*. Irene Kelley has assembled a dream-team of A- list bluegrass musicians for this project. This in a way is a double edged sword , meaning it makes for a prolific studio recording, but at the same time assures that chances are you will never hear this ensemble in a live setting. Dang.

Prescription Bluegrass Review - Unspoken Tradition - SIMPLE LITTLE TOWN!

I received a CD recently and the title, Simple Little Town, caught my attention. 

Growing up in a small town myself, one where everyone knows each other and multiple generations still sit together in church, I was curious to get this new group’s take on small town life.  After the first track, Unspoken Tradition had my attention. 

Halfway through the project, and I knew the group could write timely lyrics and were solid musicians.  By the end of the CD, I knew this group was serious about Bluegrass and had a sound all their own.

Unspoken Tradition began taking form when founding members Audie McGinnis (guitar/vocals), Lee Shuford (dobro/vocals), and Zane McGinnis (banjo) came together at a picking party in Cherryville, North Carolina.  In 2012, the current line-up took shape with the additions of Matt Warren (upright bass/vocals), Ty Gilpin (mandolin/vocals), and Tim Gardner (fiddle/vocals).  

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews: Holly Norman "Appalachian Angel"

Personally, I enjoy a vocalist with a crystal clear voice and precise intonation, with a tonal character that makes it easy to understand every word.

Holly Norman’s seemingly effortless vocals showcase these characteristics on her brand new release, Appalachian Angel.

As an artistic offering, it is my view that Appalachian Angel, though supported almost entirely by traditional Bluegrass instrumentation, would not likely meet most purists’ criteria for ‘true’ Bluegrass, though it’s earthy, country-Americana flavor would hardly compel them to marginalize its merits. And, though it doesn’t quite have the ‘feel’ of traditional Bluegrass, it does have the heart.

Prescription Bluegrass Reviews Brooke Foster - Bringing Back The Memories!

From the first note of Bringing Back The Memories, there is no doubt that Brooke Foster has put her heart and soul into this CD. This is Brooke’s first CD and she has done a very good job of selecting songs that not only compliment her voice but also give listeners a variety from traditional bluegrass to gospel to familiar country remakes.

While many of us may not know the name Brooke Foster, she is no stranger to the bluegrass world. She has spent the last two seasons entertaining at Renfro Valley and during that time has opened for Melvin Goins & Windy City, performed with American Drive as well as Wendy Miller.