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“Home from the Mills” by Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein

May 28, 2012 by editor

Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein
Home From the Mills
Rebel Records
4.5 stars (out of 5)

By Donald Teplyske

Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein may not record very often, but when they do, they produce Americana magic.

Not bluegrass, not country, not folk, and not alt.anything either; rather, these veterans of the Country Gentlemen, the Tony Rice Unit, the Seldom Scene, Chesapeake, and probably twenty other bands and a thousand picking parties create an uncluttered vocal and instrumental blend that encompasses essentials of all of these while bringing their own creativity to the fore. The result is devastatingly honest and pure. So true are the performances that each note, every song appears to have been lived by the duo, augmented this time by Moondi’s daughter Lauren.

As they did on 2008’s equally excellent 2:10 Train, Gaudreau and Klein have selected songs carefully.

Again they visit Australian Scotsman Eric Bogle, this time choosing to cover his “Leaving Nancy.” Instead of Tom Paxton—whose “The Last Thing on My Mind” they recorded last time out—they visit the Eric Anderson (“Close the Door Lightly When You Go”) and Gordon Lightfoot (“Shadows”) catalogs for familiar folk offerings. The traditional instrumentals this time out are “Whiskey Before Breakfast”/“Red Haired Boy” and “Fisher’s Hornpipe.” And there is, once more, a Hot Rize connection—whereas before they covered the essential “Colleen Malone,” this time two Tim O’Brien tunes are included, “Bending Blades” and “Rod McNeil.”

Home From the Mills is nearly without fault, with their selection of Alpha Rev’s “New Morning” the only tune that doesn’t do much for me. But even here, they make the song infinitely more interesting than the original.

Aside from the previously mentioned song highlights, it needs to be mentioned that Klein’s voice, which always sounds dynamic and strong, and which may be tribute to his background in opera, has seldom sounded better. There are times, as on “C&O Canal” and “If I Needed You” that one wonders if Klein isn’t simply a marvel that improves with time. Take the title track, for instance. I believe it may have been on this song, which kicked off Chesapeake’s 1996 Full Sail album, that I first heard Klein’s voice. And while that performance was memorable and quite outstanding, on Home From the Mills the effect is even more impressive.

Really, all the superlatives aside, that should be the final word on this album: impressive.

Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Americana, Bluegrass, Country, Donald Teplyske, Folk, Singer-songwriter | Leave a Comment »

“Trouble with the Grey” by Too Blue

May 23, 2012 by editor

Too Blue
Trouble With the Grey
self-released
4½ stars (out of 5)

By Larry Stephens

This is swing-grass (a description shared by mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff)—or maybe jazz-grass, there’s just no other description. There are strong elements of Bob Wills in their music along with some jazz influences, all packaged together with bluegrass overtones. If you’ve been around awhile (a nice way of saying you have some years on you) then you’ll hear some of the melodies of famous sister acts of the past, like the McGuire Sisters. Listen to Too Blue’s “Face the Music” and then to “Sugartime”.

Their instrumental work is very good, smooth and flowing. Betsy Rome may not be Tony Rice clone but she does a strong job on her breaks. Joan Harrison turns in a good performance on banjo. Michael Sassano plays mandolin and Jamie Doris is a star on the upright; his break on “I Fall To Pieces” is a good example. Multi-instrumentalist Rob Hecht makes several guest appearances on fiddle.

Most of the songs are originals by the band members. They don’t sound much like bluegrass but bluegrass is ancillary to their repertoire, not their main point in musical life. If you have a family member who goes to bluegrass festivals with you but listens to something else on their iPod when you’re not looking, play this CD for them.

“Grace’s Fancy/Murphy’s Rag” is a good listen and I find it interesting because it’s a juxtaposition of two numbers by Sassano. Most examples of paired songs I’ve seen are traditional numbers, not newly (as compared to a traditional tune) composed tunes. “Turnpike Reel” is another song moving at a good clip and showcasing their picking talents. “Twister,” by Sassano, features a lot of trade-offs between the band members and again showcases their talents. And if you want to hear some tough upright bass just listen to “How Long Must I Wait For You.” Jamie is working overtime and Hecht adds a jazzy fiddle break in between verses by the McGuire Sisters Joan and Betsy.

The title song is a fusion of jazz and blues at breakneck speed (and listen to that bass!). Close your eyes and you can picture couples jitterbugging or some other dance I could never do. The most recognizable song is “I Fall To Pieces.” Instead of the sultry, blues-laden Patsy Cline version they give us Asleep At The Wheel. It’s a good conversion, though those of us who have listened to the original for a few decades likely won’t be converts. Closing out is yet another speedster, “Mice In The Camper.” (A pervasive problem, but that’s another story.) This is yet another illustration of their picking skills.

Call it jazz-grass or swing-grass, it’s all good.

Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Americana, Bluegrass, Instrumental | Leave a Comment »

“Country Side of Bluegrass” by Janie Fricke

May 23, 2012 by editor

Country Side of Bluegrass
Janie Fricke
New Music Deals
2 stars (out of 5)

By Larry Stephens

I’ve always liked Janie Fricke’s music, her duets and background vocals a little more than her solo career. If you’ve followed her career through the years then there will be no surprises when you hear this CD because it’s really a greatest hits CD with a Dobro instead of a steel guitar. Therein lies the problem.

I’m flying into the wind here. Daryl Addison (GAC) likes it. Jim Moulton says, “Now she is singing an excellent bluegrass style …” and one site’s headline says, “Country star Janie Fricke discusses her new Country Side of Bluegrass CD.” On her website it says, “Country singer Janie Fricke’s new album was just released on Tuesday, but it’s already earned rave advance notices from critics.” Still another site says, “Now, decades after her last big hits, Fricke has moved into bluegrass territory, rearranging some of her best-known music on the album Country Side of Bluegrass. She’s still singing hits like ‘Down to My Broken Heart,’ but now there’s fiddle and banjo behind it.”

But this isn’t a new album. Oh, it has a new name and new art, but check out CD Universe. Yes, folks, it’s the same CD, only called The Bluegrass Sessions then. Pop it in a player that shows album details and you’ll see the imbedded album name wasn’t even changed and it still shows the original cover art. Someplace out on the Internet is the review I wrote back then and I didn’t like it any better in 2004 than I do now – as a bluegrass album. So why are all these people talking about her “new” CD? I don’t think a new wrapper on an old package makes it new.

Another issue I have is putting “bluegrass” in the title. I’m not a purist and there are many songs that bounce between country artists and bluegrass artists that fit either style because they are styled to fit. So she changed the style of the songs a little, but having heard them all as country songs, now hearing a banjo riff behind “Goodbye Broken Heart,” and a flattop instead of an electic guitar, I just don’t hear bluegrass.

It seems opportunistic. To be sure, the music business is one of opportunity but this re-branding effort just doesn’t sit well with me. The first Marty Raybon bluegrass CD sounded muchthe same, a bunch of Shenandoah songs with acoustic instruments. But Marty went on to break new ground in his bluegrass career. He’s made the rounds at the festivals. See him in person and you’ll know he loves bluegrass music. He doesn’t re-package old albums with new art.

Included here is “Faithless Love,” a JD Souther composition that may be the prettiest song on the CD. “You Don’t Know Love,” “It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Easy,” “He’s A Heartache,” and “Tell Me A Lie” are remakes from 1983′s It Ain’t Easy album. “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby” and “Do Me With Love” first appeared on 1982′s Sleeping With Your Memory album. “She’s Single Again” was out in 1985 (Somebody Else’s Fire) while “Down To My Last Broken Heart” dates to 1980 and “I’ll Need Someone To Hold Me When I Cry” to 1981 (I’ll Need Someone To Hold Me When I Cry). Even the old Hank Locklin (1960) standard, “Please Help Me I’m Falling,” is a re-release from 1978 (Singer of Songs). “Ring of Fire,” one of Johnny Cash’s signature songs, was released by her in 2003 (Tributes To My Heroes), the album that included “Faithless Love” (a 1974 song from Linda Ronstadt that also included a banjo) and “Goodbye Broken Heart.” Old material, new instruments: they are not bad listening, just not a lot of ‘grass there when she’s singing.

Take out the vocals and you can appreciate some excellent instrumental work. Mark Fain, Randy Kohrs, Luke Bulla, Andy Leftwich and Glen Duncan are some of the fine musicians on this CD.

Mark it down as good listening but disappointing because there’s nothing new, it has a bluegrass label only because there are banjo and Dobro tracks, it’s a reissue of an old CD in the guise of a new one. Did I mention there’s nothing new?

Posted in Bluegrass, Country, Larry Stephens | Leave a Comment »

“Sounds of Home” by Blue Highway

April 15, 2012 by editor

Blue Highway
Sounds of Home
Rounder Records
3.5 stars (out of 5)

If you’re a regular reader of the Lonesome Road Review, you’ll notice that this is my first review in quite a while. I never plan to take these hiatuses from music writing, but life and work sometimes intervene.

Writing about music is the hardest kind of writing for me, especially in a short review format. It’s hard to avoid the same format, the same adjectives and the same verbs. But I love doing it, and I’m back on the job.

Blue Highway’s Sounds of Home was the disc I was listening to when I got sidetracked, so even though it been out for months, I’m going to review it. Also, you just can’t ignore anything these guys put out.

Wayne Taylor (bass, vocals), Shawn Lane (mandolin, guitar, fiddle, vocals), Tim Stafford (guitar, vocals), Jason Burleson (banjo, guitar, mandolin) and Rob Ickes (Dobro, lap steel guitar) have been one of my top five bluegrass bands since I first heard their 1999 self-titled album (which was actually their fourth effort and the only one that featured Tom Adams, rather than Burleson, on banjo).

Burleson is key on this album, their ninth of all-new material. As the band continues to get better and better as writers—at least one band member has a hand in writing eleven of the twelve songs here; an old-time drone/groove on the traditional “Nobody’s Fault But Mine,” is the other track, my favorite of the bunch—Burleson’s firm right hand on the five keeps things from getting to singer-songwritery, and on his own instrumental composition he and the band prove they are indeed still masters of the hard-edged sound of real bluegrass.

Recalling, consciously, one presumes, 1999’s album-opening “Born With a Hammer in My Hand,” this set kicks off with Lane’s yearning tenor promising “I Ain’t Gonna Lay My Hammer Down” while the band is in full flight, with Ickes and his sinewy Dobro nailing the first break and galloping neck-and-neck with Burleson.

Lane also sings lead on the finely nostalgic “Sounds of Home,” another work song in “Restless Working Man,” and the defiant “Storm,” a more primal version of “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”

Taylor’s deeper, more sonorous lead marks the simple nature poetry of “Bluebird Days” and “Only Seventeen,” which, sadly, is about coal mining and not young women. Taylor also writes and sings “My Heart Was Made to Love You,” a straight-up country song that would make Ernest Tubb proud, especially with Ickes on twangy lap steel. I hesitate to mention “Heather and Billy,” another of Taylor’s leads. It’s the type of song many love as a heartfelt tearjerker, but others, including yours truly, recoil from as emotional manipulation of the crudest kind.

I’ve always wanted more of Stafford’s earnest lead vocals on Blue Highway albums, and this one is no different. He sings bouncy, taunting “If You’ve Got Something to Say” and the secular gospel meditation “Drinking from a Deeper Well,” a song a little too well-written to get picked up by a country star.

Looking over my past reviews and ratings, I think I’ve been a little too generous. That said, this one would score higher if it were from an average band, but these guys can be more exciting and fresh than this.

Posted in Aaron Keith Harris, Bluegrass, Singer-songwriter | Leave a Comment »

“Sing Me a Song About Jesus” by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

April 6, 2012 by editor

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Sing Me a Song About Jesus
Mountain Home Records
4½ stars (out of 5)

By Larry Stephens

Doyle Lawson has always included a lot of gospel music in his repertoire, so it’s no surprise to see a gospel recording from him.

Another trademark is strong musicians, and the lineup for this CD is the same as on last year’s Drive Time. Josh Swift plays Dobro and lap steel and sings bass. Doyle hired him in 2007 after he left Carrie Hassler. It’s interesting to note that the credits include Josh playing a lap steel. If you’re not familar with a lap steel, it falls somewhere between a resophonic guitar and a steel guitar: a steel guitar without pedals. The Wikipedia page lists some familiar lap steel players (Jerry Byrd [Ernest Tubb's band], Jerry Douglas and Junior Brown) but also some surprises like Chuck Berry and John Lennon. Including it in a Quicksilver album is another example of Doyle stretching his music without worrying much about traditional definitions of bluegrass. I’ve seen some people get upset over these things but other bands identified as stalwarts of bluegrass experimented (and experiment) with instrumentation and song selection, some even shunning the bluegrass appellation at times: Flatt & Scruggs, the Osborne Brothers and Jim & Jesse.

Another example of this stretch is Carl White on percussion. He joined Quicksilver in 2007 when Jaime Dailey left but later moved to percussion. Did this make the bluegrass masses happy? Not all of them. John Lawless on Bluegrass Today said in early 2011, “It’s worse than we thought: We’ve reported of late on the disturbing news about Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver touring with a live drummer. It’s something we might expect from Mountain Heart, who were formed after a collective internship with Quicksilver, but not from the man himself!” and “OMG – he’s done it again! … So what’s next for DL&QS – touring with a South African choir?” For me, it’s harder to see the drummer on stage than to listen to him. His use of the drums is unobtrustive and, in my opinion, less damaging to the bluegrass sound than the use of an electric bass. Speaking of electric basses, Corey Hensley plays an MTD 5-string bass. Doyle has long favored an acoustic bass guitar over the traditional upright bass, at least for his road show, but this is a solid body bass like you would see in a country or rock band. He’s not the only bluegrasser to use one but I have yet to hear one I like in bluegrass – and I can’t associate this CD any other way than with bluegrass.

Jason Barie plays fiddle, Mike Rogers is on guitar and lead vocals and Jessie Baker playes banjo and guitar. The bluegrass world has watched Jessie grow up from a sometimes awkward mid-teen with Karl Shiflett to an accomplished stage performer. An announcement this week tells us he is leaving Doyle to join former QS standout Jaime Dailey with Dailey & Vincent.

“Be Not Afraid” has a great traditional sound. Written by Jeannie C. Riley, from her 1979 Wings To Fly album, this makes a great song for QS. Doyle is also known for his acapella gospel numbers and “Going On Home” and “The Greatest Creator” are two more good ones. These underscore the fabulous harmony singing that QS always features. The backstory on the latter song takes us back to the Dixieaires, a black gospel group from the ’40′s who had a hit with “Joe Louis Is a Fightin’ Man” (Doyle hasn’t recorded that one, yet). (Going from the interesting to the surreal, check out this Dixieaires upload.)

The title cut is a toe-tapping number co-written by Doyle, Mike and Corey and “The Rich Man” is another hard-driving song made more interesting by its chord pattern. Both songs illustrate the picking abilities of the QS band. “It Took a Man Like That,” “God Can” and “Jack Of All Trades” are all at a slower pace but good message songs. I like all the songs on this CD but my favorite is a Dee Gaskins number, “I Saw Him Walk Out of the Sky.” The pictures the song paints touch me, and isn’t that what gospel music should do?

Doyle and Quicksilver deliver again. Despite some criticism thrown his way for trying new things, like the drums, Doyle Lawson will always have and deserve a legion of supporters and he knows where his music is headed: his way. (But I still wish he’d use an upright bass.)

Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Bluegrass, Gospel, Larry Stephens | Leave a Comment »

“Chronology – Volume 1″ by the Lonesome River Band

March 21, 2012 by editor

Lonesome River Band
Chronology – Volume One
Rural Rhythm
4 stars (out of 5)

By Larry Stephens

You won’t and you will hear something new in this first of three CDs (or EPs) chronicling LRB’s thirty years in the business, one for each decade.

You may recognize the songs but they have been re-recorded by the 2012 LRB members. Longtime banjo player and band leader Sammy Shelor heads the cast, joined by Brandon Rickman (guitar and vocals), Mike Hartgrove (fiddle) (IIIrd Tyme Out, Quicksilver), Randy Jones (mandolin, vocals) and Barry Reed (bass) (Michael Cleveland). Excellent musicians all.

"Close The Door Lightly When You Go" dates back to 1987′s Saturday Night, Sunday Morning album when Tim Austin headed the band and featured Brian Fesler on banjo. This is a good, hard-driving song of heartbreak. Speaking of heartbreak, Rickman sings the blues with a Jimmy Martin favorite, "Mary Ann," which was on LRB’s debut album. I’ve heard several people do this but no one sings it better than Rickman.

From 1989 is "I’m Afraid To Love You Anymore," that goes ‘way back to Jimmie Skinner.

Carrying The Tradition was LRB’s first natioanlly successful album and featured newcomers Shelor and Ronnie Bowman along with Austin. From that album is "Hobo Blues," kicking off with the CD’s most dynamic riffs including some danged good bass playing. Just when you begin to think it’s going to be an instrumental Rickman and Jones kick in with a duet. Also from that album is "The Game Is Over," featuring lead singer Rickman.

"The Old Man In The Shanty" is a great story song that I’d like to hear in their shows. It doesn’t hurt that Rickman is the singer because he has a natural bluesy, plaintive voice that best tells a story like this.

Rounding out the reprised songs is "Laura June" from 1989′s Looking For Yourself album. Their one "new" song is an instrumental version of "Angeline The Baker" featuring Shelor and Hartgrove.

If you’re a longtime LRB fan and have all their old albums this is still a good one to add to your collection since they are all cut again for this CD. If you don’t have the old versions, run out and get this one. It’s a good listen.

Posted in 4 and 4.5 Star Albums, Bluegrass, Larry Stephens | Leave a Comment »

“Three Kinds of Lonesome” by the Missy Werner Band

February 16, 2012 by editor

The Missy Werner Band
Three Kinds of Lonesome
Self-released
3.5 stars (out of 5)

By Donald Teplyske

Storming out of Ohio this winter is the sophomore project from the Missy Werner Band. Fronted by the mandolin-playing bandleader, this quartet reveals here that they are ready for a national stage.

Produced by noted bluegrass writer and musician Jon Weisberger, Three Kinds of Lonesome is a very strongly crafted contemporary bluegrass album. Professionally recorded but by no means staid, the warm and vibrant performances make even new songs instant favourites.

Following in the footsteps of bandleaders including Lynn Morris and Alison Krauss, Werner has elected to emphasize the Missy Werner Band rather than utilize a contingent of studio hands. Tim Strong plays guitar and contributes vocals while Artie Werner plays the bass and sings. Jeff Roberts is the band’s 5-string player with Missy Werner holding down the mandolin parts and lead vocals.

Only a few instrumental guests appear, notably Mike Witcher on Dobro® and Aaron Till on fiddle. Duet vocals from Frank Solivan (“Endlessly”) and the always dependable Chris Jones (“Just the Same”) provide variety while Jennifer Strickland’s vocals add additional texture.

Several Weisberger co-writes appear throughout the album’s 14 selections. Written with Strickland, “I’d Rather Love a Memory” kicks off the album with a familiar-sounding and appealing melody, and one day I may even place it! Later, “Right Here” – co-written by Lisa Shaffer- and “Let It Go”- written with Ashley Lewis- take different routes toward life’s pathways.

Werner appears comfortable singing the chosen songs and is an emotive singer. One may desire one or two fewer sentimental lost-love songs, but on balance Three Kinds of Lonesome retains this listener’s interest. “I Like the Country”- the Jim McCall song- features nice harmony work from Werner’s bandmates. The album closes with a welcome interpretation of The Bluegrass Cardinals’ “Journey to My Savior’s Side.”

Intentionally, Werner pays tribute to the hard-working women who broke ground as bluegrass bandleaders. “Blue Skies and Teardrops” comes from the Lynn Morris Band album The Bramble & the Rose while Larry Cordle’s “My First Mistake” closed Dale Ann Bradley’s East Kentucky Morning album fifteen years ago.

Modern bluegrass is rife with influences and interpretations that expand the music’s definition. Three Kinds of Lonesome is a bluegrass album that couldn’t have been produced twenty years ago; its balance of contemporary sounds within a fairly traditional band setting is most impressive.

Posted in Bluegrass, Donald Teplyske | 2 Comments »

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