Kevin Fore Round Peak The Tradition Continues submitted 10/2/2008 Submitter oldwoodchuckb (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased From Artist Overall Comments The title of Kevin Fore’s new cd is “Round Peak The Tradition Continues” and never has an album title been more accurate. Kevin is a native of Lowgap, and is related to some of the best known Round Peak musicians. Although he is still a young man he has devoted the last decade or so of his life to playing the banjo in the tradition of Charlie Lowe, Tommy Jarrell, Dix Freeman, Fred Cockerham, and most importantly Kyle Creed. Kevin has of course integrated the playing of these and other Round Peak masters into his own style which is quick, solid and clean. His banjo dances around the fiddle line as sure as any mountain goat. I’m not the only one who has noticed the quality of Kevin’s playing. He has taken home a bunch of prizes at banjo and old time band contests. In fact, although I have known him on line for quite a while my first in-person meeting with him was at the 2008 Hoppin' John Fiddlers Convention in Shakori Hills, where Kevin took first prize in the Old Time Banjo contest. Here is a youtube video of his band playing Old Bunch Of Keys at that convention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfeFk-TNqTc These are just some of his other awards 2005-2007 1st place banjo Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention 6 year 1st place Laurel Bloomery Tenn. Fiddlers Convention 1st place 2008 Blue Ridge Banjo Shoot Out Galax, Va. 1st place 2007 Old Time Band Galax Old fiddlers convention 1st place 2008 Old Time Band Laurel Bloomery Tenn. Fiddlers Convention 1st place 2008 Old Time Band Sparta Fiddlers Convention with Benton Flippen's Smokey Valley Boys Of course prizes aren’t important when it comes to listening and Kevin has put out a solidly entertaining album. He knows that an hour of straight instrumentals can end up sounding a bit monochromatic and has added enough vocals into the mix to keep up audience interest. Kevin sing, like he plays - completely in the tradition but also his own man. Each track on the album has also been carefully notated giving his original sources (like Creed, Freeman, and Jarrell) and noting the many Round Peak musicians who participated in making this cd. Benton Flippin, Mac Snow, Bobby Patterson, Verlin Clifton, Chester McMillian and Kirk Sutphin are names familiar to most of us who collect old time music, but there are also many younger generation players like James and Joey Burris, grandsons of Otis Burris, William Flippen, grandson of Benton. The cd is a snapshot of Round Peak today. Many of the tunes are well known and loved Round Peak favourites like “Sally Anne” and “Rockingham Cindy” but there are a few surprises like “Head Over Heels” a Fred Cockerham song, unavailable on any commercial recordings and the lesser known “Otis Burris’s Fortune” (sometimes called Up The Mountain Fortune). Kevin acknowledges his spiritual mentor Kyle Creed with “Roustabout” and even has Bobby Patterson, a frequent Creed sideman, do the guitar accompaniment. If you have any interest in the Round Peak Style this is an album you need to own. Even if your interest in RP is only marginal, this is a solid set of 19 great tunes and songs played by inspired musicians – it could change you mind and your playing. I don’t review everything, preferring to save my efforts for exceptional recordings – and this is one of those exceptional recordings you need to hear. Kevin also builds banjos – in the style of Kyle Creed, of course. He informs me that on his website he is slowly adding pictures and stories about the Round Peakers who have now passed on. Visit his website at: http://www.roundpeakbanjos.com Overall Rating 9

Alan Munde Banjo Sandwich submitted 8/25/2008 Submitter robin jones (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly web site Overall Comments A savory treat from beginning to end. Alan's playing is spectacular, as is the sound of the Stelling he plays. I don't know if it's Munde's masterpiece but it's a masterpiece. It's as fresh today as when I first heard it some 30 years ago. If you want to learn some cool tunes and killer chops get the album, get the tab, and go to work. Overall Rating 10

Martin Fox & Jeff Winegar The Way It Was submitted 6/13/2008 Submitter oldwoodchuckb (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly Instruments Overall Comments Martin Fox & Jeff Winegar - The Way It Was http://cdbaby.com/cd/foxwinegar I find fiddle/banjo duets more fun than playing in a full stringband, but they are also considerably more stressful in front of an audience - and recording brings it to a whole new level of tension. Without a guitar to broaden the sound, every note from both instruments can be clearly heard. The smallest mistake will stand out like a gorilla at a cocktail party. There is simply no place to hide. Duets are also harder than soloing. Playing alone, you can slip in a couple extra beats if you need them or cover a goof by adjusting something else it all comes out right in the end. Playing with another musician you must to stay with the program or you Both end up falling flat on your faces. When a duet works well however, the combination of old time fiddle and clawhammer banjo is pure bliss. The instruments were born to be together – especially when two consummate musicians like Jeff Winegar and Martin Fox are doing the playing. These are superbly tight duets in a very modern, yet completely old time, style. Winegar’s banjo makes elegant arabesques around Fox’s rich fiddle lines which are in turn twisting back on the banjo. The level of “interactivity” is stunning throughout the program. Most of the tracks are tunes that have not been recorded too often, so it is not only a good listening record, but also good for the musician or band out to build repertoire. The key and fiddle tuning are given for every track. Oddly enough the banjo tunings are not, but everything I’ve tried seems to work well in the tuning I normally use for the given key. While every track on the album is excellent there are a couple I want to point up as especially neat and/or challenging. My wife and I have been having a lot of fun with “Highlander’s Farewell”, and “Moonlight” which are both pretty straightforward but she has also learned the aptly named “Horse and Buggy-O”. The tune is very crooked and I can only catch on to it after about a dozen times through. The tune called “Rocky Road To Dublin” on this record is not the well known Irish jig but a modal melody from an Edison cylinder recording by Allen Sisson, who was a Civil War veteran. Now THAT really is “old” time music. Overall Rating 9

Dailey & Vincent Dailey & VIncent (Rounder) submitted 5/31/2008 Submitter BanjoDiva (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments This duo is incredible. Their new CD "Dailey & Vincent" (Rounder) is number one on this week's Bluegrass Unlimited chart and with good reason. They play a traditional style of Bluegrass with fantastic high, tight harmonies reminiscent of the brother duets of the past Bluegrass generations. The album consists of 12 tracks, three of which are sacred/gospel. Eighteen year old Joe Dean picks a mean banjer on this CD. Jamie Dailey was most recently the lead tenor with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Darrin Vincent is Rhonda Vincent's brother and was most recently with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. There is a great story on them in this month's issue of BU. I won't be surprised if this one is IBMA's Bluegrass Album of the Year for 2008. A must own. Overall Rating 10

Allen Shelton Shelton Special submitted 5/25/2008 Submitter BanjerJeff (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments Very good banjo record. If you wanna listen to something other than the same standards over and over you need to give this one a shot. It'll stay in your music rotation. I think this is a must to a banjo players collection. Overall Rating 9

Infamous Stringdusters Infmaous Stringdusters submitted 5/21/2008 Submitter TedLehmann (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Overall Comments The Infamous Stringdusters new CD will be released on June 10th. My blog (www.tedlehmann.blogspot.com) has a review today. This disk demonstrates that the Stringdusters are moving their music forward, keeping it both accessible and challenging. It's a welcome addition to their work. - Ted Overall Rating 10

Alan Munde Festival Favorites Revisited submitted 5/19/2008 Submitter BanjerJeff (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments Very good banjo album with a ton of classics. You also can order the tab book that is available for each song. Overall Rating 8

Tony Trischka Territory submitted 4/13/2008 Submitter The Josh (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Sorefingers summer school Overall Comments This is a incredible album it shows people what really can be done with a banjo it features other talented banjo players like Pete and Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Bruce Molsky and other guest artists. The tunes played on the album are in all sorts of funky tunings and also has Tony playing gouda banjo and a one of a kind slide banjo. This cd also has Pete Seeger singing and Mike seeger on a harmonica. There is only one thing wrong with this album would be that the singing is not to good on track ten although I must admit its grown on me. Overall Rating 9

The .357 Sting Band Ghost Town submitted 3/13/2008 Submitter bobb62 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased itunes Overall Comments They call their music "streetgrass". Great banjo, mandolin, upright bass, and guitar. It is a nice modern twist to bluegrass. They look like bikers and sound like hillbillies! If you want to buy just one song to check them out start with Stillest Hour. *It won't let me in to edit the name of the band, it is String not Sting Overall Rating 9

Swamptrash It Makes No Never Mind submitted 3/10/2008 Submitter SkaStan (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments This Lp is a bit of a rarity. I managed to track a copy down recently for $80, the only other one I've seen was $200 on ebay. Swamptrash hailed from Edinburgh Scotland and after starting off busking the streets of Edinburgh in the mid eighties soon cultivated a cult following from their raucus gigs throughout Scotland. The LP was released 1989. A wild cajun/bluegrass/psycobilly mix of originals like Square Ass Sheriffs and Mamas In The Kitchen as well as classics Ring Of Fire and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the Album may not be to the taste of the more traditionalists, but if you like your bluegrass a little on the wildside, try to hunt a copy down. To check out all things Swamptrash, http://www.lazypict.thehighlands.co.uk/acidcroft/acidcrofthistory.htm is a good place to start. The band sadly split soon after its release, some members went on to form Shooglenifty who have released many albums and still play out to this day. Swamptrash were my first intoduction to the magical sound of the banjo for which I will be eternally greatful. Overall Rating 10

Mountain Therapy (Tim Custer) Natural Blend and Looking Back submitted 2/19/2008 Submitter Bart Veerman (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Tim Custer direct Overall Comments Mountain Therapy “Package in the mail for you.” I opened the big envelope that Tim Custer so kindly had sent me. The two Mountain Therapy CD's in it quickly found their way to the DVD player, I had heard a couple of Tim's tracks on his Hangout homepage earlier so I knew I'd be in for a treat. After the first few seconds it became clear that “treat” was an understatement because the first thing that hit me: the tracks were not simply “please-let-us-get-through-them” renditions; these were complete arrangements bonding a group of top notch musicians into a unison you don't often get to experience. The first CD I played was Mountain Therapy, Natural Blend. Lonnie Wellman provides a solid and tasteful guitar with just the right accents at the right places to spice up the rhythm. Marsha Wellman sees to it that the bass goes can do more than boom chicke boom. Wes Homner delivered beautiful and melodious sounds on the mandolin. Tim Custer's banjo playing was all over the place: happy, exiting, sad, sparky, dreamy and anywhere in between and then some. Vocals, simple, all of them sing. Marsha Wellman does an outstanding job. Highlights of Natural Blend to me were He Rode All the Way to Texas, Stolen Identity and Blood Stained Trail. The second CD, Looking Back, featured Mark Miracle on the mandolin and his Jump and Stumble tune is sure to stump and fumble those trying to learn play this great instrumental. As a proper banjoey I was of course looking forward to Tim Custer's break in answer to Mark's challenge. Murmers of amazement, talk about banjo playing. Yeah, OK, so Tim, I'm going to need to a picture of your hands cause as near as I can tell you must have at least seven fingers on each. . . Highlights, besides Jump and Stumble - My Heart's Bouquet, Over the Rainbow and – heck with it, both CD's, they're all highlights. All in all, tastefully real bluegrass. Check Tim Custer's Hangout page to listen to his music files and to find out how/where to order your own copies: http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/home.asp?id=5887 Overall Rating 10

The Lewis Family 50th Anniversary submitted 2/18/2008 Submitter banjerboy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Lewis Family Website Overall Comments This is the best recording by the Lewis Family. Not only does it have new recordings on it, but it also has their older recordings on it too. There is a recording on this album with Little Roy singing when he was a little kid and I think it is very astounding. This album proves that they really are the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music." Overall Rating 10

The Lewis Family One Rose submitted 2/18/2008 Submitter banjerboy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Lewis Family Website Overall Comments This is one of the really good new albums by the Lewis Family. The tribute to their father which they sing is a very moving tribute. This album shows they still have great energy after 56 years of playing music. Overall Rating 9

Hunter Robertson Sings Songs for the Masses submitted 2/13/2008 Submitter Yopparai (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments Banjos are capable of a wide range of styles and moods and I enjoy them all - but the thing that will grab me every time is a haunting melody supported by a banjo that is full of conviction and growl. With a range of old time clawhammer and finger styles and low gravelly vocals, Hunter Robertson Sings Songs for the Masses fills my need for moving, haunting banjo perfectly. The songs have the feeling of old field recordings in that most are one take tunes without the sterile touch of heavy post production mixing and over dubbing. Just Hunter, his instrument, and his voice. His version of "Redwing" is the first, and only, that I have heard that matches the mood of the music with the subject of the lyrics, and it changed forever how I think of the song. "You Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond" breaks out the slide and demonstrates that the banjo can sing the blues with the best of them. Throw in some gut-stringed fretless, a little 12-stringed guitar, and a smattering of kazoo and opus and the result is a great CD that breaks a lot of people's idea of what "banjo music" is. More information and sample tracks: http://hunterrobertson.com/harkframe.html Overall Rating 10

Flatt & Scruggs Foggy Mountain Banjo submitted 2/5/2008 Submitter tomeloph (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Bluegrass concert Overall Comments Great cd. I love that it's all instrumental. And boy can those two play! None of the songs really stick out as the one "good" song and the rest fall short... rather, they are all solid performances! Overall Rating 8

Balsam Range Marching Home submitted 1/21/2008 Submitter Jaminbanjo (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Concert Overall Comments This is a wonderfull CD. Great singing, and some REALLY fine pickin'. $15: www.BalsamRange.com Overall Rating 10

Various artists Blue Ribbon Banjo submitted 1/15/2008 Submitter tomeloph (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Friend Overall Comments A friend gave me this cd... she found it in her music cds when she was cleaning. It's not the best I've ever heard, but it does have a couple interesting tracks. Overall Rating 6

Flatt & Scruggs F& S at Carnegie Hall submitted 12/31/2007 Submitter drew-gurbach (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased FYE Overall Comments Years ago, before I ever started playing Bluegrass, my Grandfather (in an influential way I think) “loaned” me his cherished LP of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs at Carnegie Hall. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this was an abridged version of a much longer and variety filled concert. So the years passed, I played the album over and over until it developed cracks, warped, and became so scratched that it nearly hit the end of it’s serviceable life. And with the advent of CD players, it all but became retired as a relic of a past time and place. Fast forward to the late 90’s and I stumbled on a CD with the same record jacket art (unmistakable to my endearing eye) and I bought it immediately! I took it home and enjoyed all those wonderful sounds I heard as a youngster, but now with amazing clarity. I also was pleasantly surprised to hear a number of tracks NOT included on the original LP. The CD of this 1963 recording sounds like it was done yesterday…it’s that good, and it’s a classic. If I had to be critical of anything it would be that Lester’s introductions of songs later on in the concert become a little predictable and unimaginative. The songs are also pretty short and sometimes a little repetitive. But one thing is for certain, it’s a wonderful piece of history for anyone to add to their collection. Find it, buy it, and enjoy it! Overall Rating 10

Seldom Scene SCENEchronized submitted 12/27/2007 Submitter Kevin B (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments The first recording by the Scene since 2000's "Scene it all" From the opening track "Hometown Blues" SCENEchronized just rocks! Plenty of bluesy stuff. Good traditional tunes. Even a reprise of their earlier "Don't Bother With White Satin" (from Act III). The harmony on this CD seems even tighter than their last release and I really like the addition of Chris Eldridge to the band. Ben hasn't lost a thing on the banjo, he absoluetly has the ultimate touch and taste for any material he sets his picks to. This one was came out in August of '07. It is already nominated for Best Bluegrass Album Grammy 2008. The Scene rules! http://www.seldomscene.com/ Overall Rating 10

Bill Monroe Live at Mechanics Hall submitted 12/27/2007 Submitter ldgrmnmc (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon Overall Comments This CD has 19 tracks (including a couple intros) and captures a Blue Grass Boys' performance with Bill Keith. The music overall is solid other than one or two tracks. Anyway, it's a nice new release if you want to hear BK!!! Overall Rating 8

Singleton Street Wingin' It submitted 12/18/2007 Submitter Joanchek (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Direct from Band Overall Comments Wingin’ It Singleton Street Independent Release 2007 Reviewed 12/18/2007 by Joan Don’t get too comfortable when you put Wingin’ It, the newest CD by Singleton Street on the stereo. You won’t be sitting still for long. This long-awaited release, three years in the making, simply moves, in every sense of the word. The album presents 13 tracks of old-time Gospel favorites presented in the band’s inimitable foot-tapping style. Singleton Street is a four-piece acoustic band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sherri Leyda leads most of the vocals with a soaring voice that holds up well to the exuberant instruments behind her. Sherri’s husband Chuck Leyda’s guitar lead or crisp mandolin dance through every track with a precision of tone and attack that can only be described as joyful. Jimmy Newkirk’s bass is a firm foundation, but he sneaks in a few great licks now and again to remind us of his skill. And banjoist Craig Evans’s clawhammer provides the color and sparkle that makes this offering soar. The four instruments sound bigger than they are, and the four-part harmonies are choral and close without being overly smooth. These are musicians who are individually talented, but who come together as a greater sum. On first listen, I felt immediately drawn into a warm room filled with music. The record creates a space that is intimate and folksy. These songs are handmade and heartfelt. This may be old-time style, but there is a modern freshness that is engaging. It is difficult to capture the exuberance that a band demonstrates during a live performance on a recording, but Wingin’ It gives us just that. Singleton Street feels their mission is sharing their strong Christian faith with their audiences. “There's something very powerful and moving about sharing faith with loved ones through Gospel music. It's ongoing. The love is still there... you can feel it when you sing. We love sharing this feeling with all our audiences. The best part is you can see that ongoing love resonate with them! Gospel music does that to you.” said Craig Evans in a recent interview. And while that message comes through loud and clear, this album is more tent-revival than Sunday-sermon. It’s readily apparent that these four talented folk are having a whole lot of fun. Vocal harmony is a strong suit here. Normally, it is difficult for a female vocalist to blend into three strong male voices below her. Sherri shows a great skill in this regard. As a lead, she floats above the band nearly effortlessly. As the top of a four part vocal, she’s warm butter on the pancakes—rich and smooth. Singleton Street also manages to avoid the cliché of the comic basso profundo. Jimmy Newkirk’s bass is a deep velvet background that lets the higher registers sparkle. All three men have strong voices and impeccable timing. “Get in Line Brother” is the best showcase of the harmonic and vocal ensemble capabilities of the band. Wingin’ It offers a mix of upbeat hand-clappers, gospel standards, and a tear-jerker or two. “Red Clay Halo,” by David Rawling and Gillian Welch is destined to be a new gospel classic and is perfectly presented here. Craig Evans’s vocal is homey with an energetic sensibility that keeps the song from becoming corny. “Gone Home,” a perennial sentimental favorite, is sweet but not cloying. The arrangement balances impeccable three- and four-part harmonies and complex guitar counterpoints. The acapella track, Hank William’s “House of Gold,” is plucked from an old Kentucky choir-loft, but the pace and length of the arrangement keeps the song from plodding. “Old Hymn Medley” follows, showcasing the instrumental talents of each player. The vocal tag-ending lacks only a “amen!” finish. “Angel Band,” another gospel standard by Ralph Stanley, is presented gently and tenderly with a hint of swing. The last track on the record is a pleasant surprise. “The Harvest” is a nostalgic ba Overall Rating 9

Steve Martin The Steve Martin Brothers submitted 12/12/2007 Submitter tomeloph (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments I have this album on LP, and now it's on CD. Half stand-up comedy, half banjo playing. It's great for any Steve Martin fan! Overall Rating 10

Tony Trischka Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular submitted 12/12/2007 Submitter tomeloph (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments A great CD of tunes from Tony and many other guests, including Steve Martin. Some new tunes as well as some classics. Overall Rating 10

Ryan Cavanaugh Songs For The New Frontier submitted 11/3/2007 Submitter NINJO (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments The album lives up to its name in truly showing the New Frontier of acoustic music. Ryan's well known mastery of the 5-string is showcased on his ten original songs. As strong a group of inventive pickers ever assembled on any recording. This will be the new guide for the future of banjo picking and the arrangement of string music. Incredible dobro, fiddle, mando, guitar, and bass work compliments the originality of Cavanaugh's musical vision. This is the "Strength in Numbers" for the modern generation, an assembly of today's most dynamic masters of acoustic music. This will blow you away! Overall Rating 10

Earl Brothers Whiskey, Women & Death submitted 11/1/2007 Submitter JackJack (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased CD Baby Overall Comments I heard the Earl Brothers for the first time on a local San Francisco Bay radio show. The thing that struck me about the music was that they sounded so close to the early original bluegrass traditionalists, but with their own edge. The Earl Brothers songs (all original, except foe "Cluck Old Hen") have a toughened spirit that spoke of hardened hearts and drinking from long necked bottles with the bartender in a quiet dive bar while strumming on an old Fender guitar, telling stories of their bad luck. They have often been referred to as a punk or goth bluegrass band most likely because of their raw and troubled lyrics. But don't let the punk or goth boiler plate make you think that they are just a bunch of young dirty haired, eye liner, and rapid nonsense. Instead imagine Bill Monroe with Ralph Stanley dressed all in black, singing songs about some of the tough days of their times. The Earl Brothers are the real thing when it comes to bluegrass with unique melodic harmonies, slow pickin' banjo, heavy bass strum-flat pickin' guitar, frilling mandolin, and the tight upright bass. If you like straight talking songs and right to the point about the lost love and tough luck then this is a must have. Check out samples of their music here. http://www.earlbrothers.com/ Overall Rating 10