Bluegrass music reviews

This is an excellent compilation of tracks laid down by Mr. Flatt in the early 1970's, after the breakup with banjoist Scruggs. Lester put together a new group, awkwardly named "Nashville Grass", but full of talent (including the young Marty Stuart.) Flatt stayed within bluegrass tradition, and on a par with Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley. His RCA releases did not sell a lot during the 1970-74 run with the label, but the sound that made "Flatt and Scruggs and the Foggy Mountain Boys" famous on Columbia in the sixties was still there. These tunes mix instrumentals and vocals, religious themes with secular, and there is even a joke song or two: "I Can't Tell the Boys From the Girls" and "The Martha White Theme" (Lester's long-time TV sponsor.)Those two conclude the disc, and ought to be just throw-aways, except that each is so much fun to hear. There are a couple of well-known selections on here, such as "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" and "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" but the bulk of the CD is made up of performances that did not make a commercial impact at the time. It's all good, all bluegrass, all-American, and worth the price.

This awesome CD should be in everyone's collection.Every song is a winner..if you're a guitarist you'll put it in & be pickin' & grinnin' with every song.Lester Flatt's music needs to be re-examined & appreciated again.Awesome listening experience..don't pass it up!

This is the GREATEST. I have been waiting years for this. It was worth the wait. There is not a bad song on the whole CD. Buy this CD. Five STARS. I don't have to write a essay. If you like REAL Country Music, you will love this CD.

Big fan of Hot Rize and Tim O'Brien. Red Knuckles and the Trailblzers give us a different and thoroughly entertaining and convincing alternative side to the Hot Rize boys. Rockabilly may, in fact, be their true calling.

If you are a fan of the history of music, like me -- you do not want to be without this album. The covers of some standards bring new life to the music. It is clear by the nature and by the history of this group that they are campy, yet the more you listen to it the more it appears as an actual art. An example of the leangth to which they go to infuse the music with the maximum ammount of fun is that they make up a totally fake band for the old country and western sound. I have seen them live and know that they take turns leaving stage and becoming the alter-ego. Hot Rize/ Trailblazers is a lovely experiance and should be a part of every collection.

Makes you want to get up and have a good time. Voices and instruments blend effortlessly. Highly recommend.

Rollin in the Hay is a "local" bluegrass band from Northern Alabama if you have never heard of them or experienced them live (the best 5 dollar concert you would ever see I must add). This is an excellent album with creative original tunes and superb remakes of old classics. I highly recommend it and the band. Go see a live show if you get the chance, they tour very often. Also check out Live at Oasis 1 and 2

Three extremely talented musicians bending every rule to bring renegade bluegrass or redneck speed metal you choose. Freebird on a banjo? Hymns and Greatful Dead it all works and it's all great. Buy the album then go see the shows, if you can get in, and sing along with all their fans. You won't believe your ears!

I have seen Rollin' In The Hay live many times in my five years at Auburn. This CD captures the feeling of the live show well. From originals like Opie and Me, 4:20, and Steel Rails to bluegrass standards like Will The Circle Be Unbroken and Mountian Dew, every song sounds great. They even bring a little bit of a bluegrass touch to the Grateful Dead classic, Deal. Overall, if you like bluegrass, or if you like the Dead and just think you might like bluegrass, but aren't sure, you should try this CD.

--those that surround themselves with sycophants and those that associate with their peers or betters.

Darol Anger is distinctly of the latter type. The musicians he has chosen to play with on this altogether remarkable disc are every bit his peers, if not his superiors. The result is a disc of magnificent presence and accomplishment.

Perhaps the standout characteristic of this astounding music is the diversity of material Anger has managed to round up and "break" (as one might a wild bronc) within its purview: everything from Irish traditional ("Lost in the Loop") to Detroit soul ("Higher Ground") to Kentucky bluegrass ("Old Dangerfield") to elay folk-rock ("Help Me" [nearly unrecognizable, it must be said], featuring the eartheral vocals of Laurie Lewis) to Villa-Lobos-like Brazilian-classical ("Andre de Sabato Nuovo") to smart swing ("Sneezin'") to Arabic ("Ouditras Rez") to gospel/blues ("Evening Prayer Blues") to African ("Dzinomwa Muna Save") to Scandinavian fiddle music ("Sand").

Surrounding himself with up-and-coming musicians of the absolute top rank (wildly creative fiddle player Brittany Haas; hugely underregarded flat-picking guitarist Scott Nygard, practically the peer of David Grier; monster cellist Rushad Eggleston), Anger has upped the ante of string-band music almost off the charts, with us, the listeners, being the beneficiaries.

Rhapsodic gloriousness of the first order: You snooze, you lose. Plus, contains a hidden mysterioso track that contextualizes the proceedings with gravitas beyond the call of duty.

Transcendent.

Fans of progressive acoustic music think they know Darol Anger, but they won't know what hit them after they hear this! It seems like most musicians of Darol's generation are content to mine existing veins, settling into a cosy twilight. Not Anger -- here he's paired with two amazing young musicians (cellist Rushad Eggleston and fiddler Brittany Haas) and, along with under-rated flatpicker Scott Nygaard, use the techniques he has developed over years of exploration to enliven a new set of music drawn from all over the world. The guitar and cello are an unexpectedly forceful rhythm section, driving Anger and Haas to new levels of invention and intensity. But this isn't all about flash: the slower, more spacious tunes are amazingly empathetic -- bordering on telepathy. It's great to hear someone like Darol still testing the limits of his music...if you're new to his music, or haven't heard him in a while, here's where you pick up.

One way to escape the cheesy pop that passes for today's country music is to listen to some truck drivin' tunes that speak to the blue collar roots of real country music. This fine collection contains a number of classics updated by contemporary artists as well as tunes by the original artists. Highlights of this CD are Junior Brown's collaboration with the great Red Simpson on Red's classic "Nitro Express" which is as good as their collaboration on "Semi-Crazy" from the album by the same name. The Yayhoos update the genre with their raucous take on "Highway Junkie" while Bill Kirchen gears it up on "Semi-Truck." The songs by the women seem weaker to me because truck driving tunes just sound better when sung by a man. These songs tend to fall into the I'm-left-all-alone-while-my-man-is-on-the-road category like Kay Adams "Mama Was a Rock."

But that's a minor quibble. Get yourself this collection of truck driving CDs for your next long road trip; it'll make the hours on the freeway fly by.

One way to escape the cheesy pop that passes for today's country music is to listen to some truck drivin' tunes that speak to the blue collar roots of real country music. This fine collection contains a number of classics updated by contemporary artists as well as tunes by the original artists. Highlights of this CD are Junior Brown's collaboration with the great Red Simpson on Red's classic "Nitro Express" which is as good as their collaboration on "Semi-Crazy" from the album by the same name. The Yayhoos update the genre with their raucous take on "Highway Junkie" while Bill Kirchen gears it up on "Semi-Truck." The songs by the women seem weaker to me because truck driving tunes just sound better when sung by a man. These songs tend to fall into the I'm-left-all-alone-while-my-man-is-on-the-road category like Kay Adams "Mama Was a Rock."

But that's a minor quibble. Get yourself this collection of truck driving CDs for your next long road trip; it'll make the hours on the freeway fly by.

This album is the best thing that has ever happened to truckdrivers since coffee and rest stops. Rig Rock Deluxe captures the feelings, plights of courage, and comradere of the unsung american hero- The Truckdriver. This album explores issues of the "absent husband syndrome" in a jammin song by Kay Adams and BRS-59, and existential spiritual questions that we all ponder as we trek across the open road, "Will There Be Big Rigs in Heaven" by Buck Owens and His Buckaroos. A great must hear album. Makes a great gift for anyone who has driven over eight hours to get somewhere. Check it out!

As a beginning banjo player I was looking for a banjo player as my role model - Earl Scruggs, Bela Fleck or Roy Clark were one of my contenders. But then I discovered Right Hand Man CD after typing the keyword "Cumberland Gap" at a bookstore listening post. Tom Adams's banjo picking blew me out of my seat. His banjo picking is so crystal clear with the active thumb lead. Every song has sheer energy to it. It's hard to explain, but the music is fantastic. Even the fiddle and mandolin playing in the album are superb. I immediately declared Tom Adams as my banjo playing role model.

I've heard many wonderful bluegrass banjo players including such greats as Earl Scruggs and J.D. Crowe, but none better than Tom Adams. Every note is crystal clear and his technique is flawless. This album is a must-have for anyone who loves banjo playing.

It has been said that Tom Adams is the heir apparent to the throne of 3 finger style banjo pickin. This CD makes it obvious. Nobody today has the same combination of speed, timing, excitement and great taste in their pickin style. This CD is a worthy successor to Earl's "foggy mountain banjo". All songs are performed without lyrics in a fast, clean, exciting Scruggs style. The songs are ones you probably already know but Adams breaths fresh life into all of them. If you like bluegrass banjo, you'll love this CD.

Chesapeake began as a friendly little jam in the D.C. area during those dark months that stretch through the winter - when most Big-Time Bluegrass Bands are waiting for summer festival season to start back up.

Moondi Klein, T. Michael Coleman and Mike Auldridge were all members in good standing of one of the most famous of all Bluegrass Bands - the Seldom Scene. Jimmy Gaudreau was lending his fine mandolin work and angelic tenor harmony to Tony Rice at the end of Tony's ability to perform as a vocalist. (Vocal Chord maladies have since left Master Rice as guitarist, producer - basically everything but singer after inspiring a generation of bluegrass singers including Alison Krauss.)

Anyway - these gents had little to do after the touring festival season died down, and they all had more than a few ideas for original music. They would meet at each other's homes, bringing their axes and voices and over a few of these meetings magic began to emerge.

The immediately identifiable ring of the banjo and saw of the fiddle is nowhere to be found within their instrumentation of guitar, mandolin, bass and resonator guitar. Master Auldridge's long, bluesy dobro lines are alternated with Gaudreau's fluid and staccatto mandolin phrases. Moondi Klein's wonderful lead vocals are met on harmonies by Gaudreaus heavenly tenor and either Coleman or Auldridge's baritone.

The result was startlingly original in 1994, and other than Nickel Creek, no other band in the loosely-defined genre of Bluegrass has attempted anything nearly as original.

Wonderful uptempto tunes like "Always on a Mountain When I Fall" and "Blackjack Davey" are alternated with beautiful slow ballads like "Darcey Farrow" and "High Sierras". Van Morrison's "Moondance" gets a great workout by this group.

Sadly - they've all gone other directions, but they left two additional recordings: Pier Pressure and Full Sail. This first CD would be the ONE to start with - it's the first and their best.

NOT ONLY DO I LOVE THE SMOOTH, SATISFYING MUSIC OF THIS BAND, BUT I JUST LOVE THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE INDIVIDUAL SONGS AND LIFE IN GENERAL. THEY SEEM TO SAY...IT IS A PRIVELAGE TO PERFORM THIS MATERIAL THAT THE SONGWRITING GREATS HAVE PERFORMED AND RECORDED, I HOPE THAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THE TASK AND YOU WILL THINK SO, TOO.
IT'S A SHAME THIS BAND IS NO MORE. ARE THERE ANY DVD'S OR VHS LIVE RECORDINGS OF THIS GREAT BAND? SOME KIND SOUL PLEASE E-MAIL ME AND TELL ME IT IS SO!

I have over 700 CDs in my collection and this one is definitely in my top twenty. Great bluegrass sound with both fast and slow tempo songs. I never seem to get tired of these guys.

I saw Special Consensus play live in Cody, Wyoming last night. What a great show! These guys have it together for sure. The CD is first rate, highly recommended.

The Special Consensus is a masterful and innovative bluegrass quartet that has come a long way since it first started performing in the Midwest in the mid-seventies. Through hard work and perseverance, the dues have long been paid, and this band has now achieved an international reputation as a very solid and popular professional touring band. Their new album features the core group of Greg Cahill (banjo), Josh Williams (mandolin), Tim Dishman (bass), and Jamie Clifton (guitar). They are joined by seasoned accompanists Rob Ickes on resonator guitar, and Ron Stewart on fiddle. My only minor suggestion would've been to add these two guests more prominently into the mix, especially on this album's two instrumentals. "Route 10" contains a diverse variety of songs, best classified as contemporary bluegrass with gospel quartet (Claire Lynch's "Come Unto Me") and swing (Paul Craft's "I'll Believe the Lie") offerings served up with expert flair. Musically sophisticated, these guys know how to infuse infectious energy into their songs and arrangements. Every single cut is a winner that deserves airplay, although the Ron Spears composition "Say You'll Stay in my Arms" and Michael Martin Murphey's "Carolina in the Pines" are probably the two most "special" showpieces that DJs will achieve "consensus" on as deserving places on the bluegrass charts.

On this album, Greg Cahill, originally from Chicago, really tears up his original composition, "Chahill Special," with the other band members also trading off some hot licks to share in the virtuositic fun. Cahill is the original founder of the band and currently serves as the group's senior member. He has assembled some young and flashy talent to give the band a brilliant, fresh sound. Guitarist Jamie Clifton, from Oklahoma, has won several guitar contests including the prestigious Oklahoma State flatpicking championship in 1990. From 1995-2000, he performed with the bluegrass gospel band, The New Tradition, before joining The Special Consensus in 2001. On this CD, Clifton sings lead on three songs (If I Could Only Have Your Love, Bobby and Sarah, and Come Unto Me). He also demonstrates his songwriting skills with "Amy and Trevor," a beautiful but very sad song about a man's family lost as a result of his driving under the influence.

Bassplayer Tim Dishman, from Indiana but with family roots in Alabama and West Virginia, joined The Special Consensus in 1999. He offers his lead vocals to one cut, "The Old Man in the Park," on this project. Finally, mandolinist and primary lead vocalist Josh Williams is a young talent that shows boundless artistic promise. By age twelve, he had won banjo, mandolin, guitar and dobro awards. He joined The Special Consensus in 1999. His self-penned instrumental composition, "This Ain't Alabama, Uncle George," is a hard-driving picker's delight that just makes me want to sit up straight and say "Wow!" Williams sings expressive lead on six of this album's songs. -- Joe Ross, freelance writer, Bluegrass Unlimited magazine

This album falls back into a more traditional flavor than other efforts. This line up and album have significantly raised the bar. Having seen them live, the quality of musician ship is astounding in this band, the mix really does their vocals and sound justice! The harmonies and lyrics will take you from church to a "honky-tonk" in 50 minutes. This album has a great mix of originals, some that could be classics someday, and covers. Greg Cahill, Josh Williams and Jamie Clifton each have included an original that you will surely enjoy and treasure! See them live if you can, you'll be hard pressed to see a more professional and tight group of musicians anywhere! If you love bluegrass, and country that doesn't need electricity, drums, or tight leather pants, you'll love this album. Can't recommend it enough!

Original songs from four of the five members of Kane's River make up the majority of their third album, "Same River Twice," a title inspired by a quote from Greek philosopher Heraclitus who used paradoxes to demonstrate that the world is in a constant state of flux. He argued that even the hills were changing, just too slowly for people to readily notice. His "same old river" metaphor can also be applied to bluegrass music. Because bluegrass is flowing, growing and in a state of flux, it is impossible to ever step into the same river of music twice. Kane's River's approach has been fluid, and each of their three albums have built on their last. The Kane's River channel and direction have remained, although the water that flows within has developed continually. Those who study the principles and laws of the universe will agree that this Montana-based band's cosmic balance is moving them quickly towards bluegrass stardom.

Kane's River is John Lowell (guitar), Julie Elkins (banjo, guitar), David Thompson (bass), Ben Winship (mandolin), and Jason Thomas (fiddle). All but Thomas are the band's vocalists and songwriters. Other featured songsmiths on this project include Mike and Jan Dowling, David Francey, Donald Devanney and Tony Furtado. Formed in 1994, the band, originally known as "Deep River," changed their name in 1999 to avoid confusion with another band calling itself "Deep River." Kane Fisher, an eccentric Montana mountain man, is the band's namesake, and its members have previous experience with such notable bluegrass groups as Loose Ties, Wheel Hoss, and New Vintage. Since their last album, Kane's River's mandolinist, Jerry Nettuno, appears to have left the band and has been replaced by Ben Winship.

Kane's River has a contemporary bluegrass sound with influences of folk, blues, Celtic, jazz and world music. "Hey Spikedriver" has a driving classic bluegrass feel while "Sailing Nowhere" incorporates Winship's octave mandolin and a lyrical Celtic melody. "Richmond" is a folksy ballad with a common theme of longing for home. Just when you think you've got them pegged, a twisted instrumental like "Foisted Possum" is slyly inserted into the program. Impressively, the band showcases three lead vocalists with Elkins, Lowell and Winship.

Kane's River has a knack for innovative bluegrass. Their original music is skillful and clever, and the five musicians demonstrate a superior ability to present it in an intelligent, listener-friendly fashion. I just hope that this band's eclectic nature doesn't, in fact, hurt them from developing a prime signature sound that is immediately recognizable as Kane's River. They clearly can do it all, and "Same River Twice" emphasizes the fact that Kane's River is a total package. They're on the move, and despite the laws of gravity, Kane's River is flowing upward to new heights. If they gain inspiration from philosophy, we should recall that Heraclitus also argued that fire was the primal substance from which the universe and all matter formed. We see that fire still burning today in the music of Kane's River. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

this is actually their 3rd album (at least that i'm aware of...the 1st would be under the group name of "deep river." which name had to be abandoned for some quasi legal reason).

i've seen them twice since 2001 at a nearby festival in idaho.

this is a group that seems to have it all. virtuosity and understated tastefulness. some wonderful songwriting. the top of my list is "this little town." although a studio album, same river twice captures for me the liveliness and heart that you see in person.

"Same River Twice" is the second project to be released by one of the brightest rising stars to emerge on the bluegrass scene in recent years - Kane's River. Hailing from the Bozeman, Montana area, Kane's River is a refreshing mix of talent, energy, drive and creativity who brought together years of experience and musical maturity to garner national acclaim with their self-titled debut recording in 2000. The band rapidly topped the charts that year, gained a reputation for trailblazing a new, refreshing approach to bluegrass music, became instant favorites with critics and fans alike, and has since maintained a level of success that is rarely enjoyed by many bands with their broad musical range and appeal.
"Same River Twice" is an eclectic collection of songs ranging from straight-ahead, classic bluegrass to shades of Celtic, blues and folk. The band creates a tight, fresh and exciting sound by combining their vast musical talents with their original and impressive songwriting skills, fiery renditions of the classics, masterful musicianship, soulful lead vocals and polished, soaring harmonies. With all five members being songwriters of significant note, Kane's River collectively wrote 12 of the 15 songs included on this recording, which fuses a deep respect for traditional bluegrass with tasteful influence from an assortment of musical genres, and promises to be one of the top releases of the year.
Tim Stafford of Blue Highway and Alison Krauss & Union Station fame says it all..."Kane's River is more than different -- they're intelligent, original, versatile and virtuosic. And they're simply among the very best modern bluegrass bands out there."

Amazon has this exact same Bear Records box listed under a different AZIN number for about $18 less. I didn't try putting both versions in my cart to see if they actually listed differently - but one should beware...

Thank God for Bear Family Records. This box set is their project covering the true Queen of Country Music, and like all of their undertakings, this one delivers. Kitty Wells requires no introduction, but like all of the Bear family Box Sets, this one includes a large color booklet covering the discography, recording career, and even personal life of Kitty. Of course, her biggest hits are here, including "It Wasn't God...." and "Heartbreak, USA", but just as importantly, her earliest recordings are here to. And, her outstanding duets with none other than Mr Red Foley are here as well. You just can't go wrong with this set. Get it, play it, and enjoy it. A+

I love Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline and I intend to listen to them for the rest of my life, but there is no female country singer I love more than Kitty Wells. In fact, with the possible exception of Hank Williams there is no country singer male or female who I like as much. There are so many perfect songs here, so many great musicians backing her, so much heartfelt emotion that I know I haven't even begun to digest everything these CDs have to offer. This is country music unpolluted (it seems) by a desire to appeal to the pop music audience. I am a middle class man in my late twenties who grew up in Seattle and I have never even traveled to the south, but for some reason when I listen to her music I feel like I'm getting inside the songs. Everything just comes together so perfectly - the beautiful simplicity of the the songs themselves, the musicians backing her with minimalist grace, and then Kitty Wells herself who, like Billie Holiday or Robert Johnson, just sounds like she believes so strongly in what she's saying.

I just have one complaint to air that does not concern the contents of this CD. I wonder why there are so few Kitty Wells CDs available? There are a handful of budget CDs all with more or less the same songs on them and then there is maybe one or two decent 17 song collections with a few additional tracks. So basically if you are getting into Kitty Wells you've got to jump from one of these CDs to this 100+ track box set. I suppose one can take comfort in the fact that there's enough quality material here to make it very worth it. Sure, the best songs are in the first 10 years of her career, but there's hardly a bad song on any of these CDs.