Artists!
Quite often we receive and album that is not bluegrass by any stretch of the imagination but claims to be. Occasionally we get one that lays no claim to bluegrass but we feel is worthy of inclusion in the reviews section of Bluegrass World Daily News.
Featured Album of The Week
The South Carolina Bluegrass and Traditional Music Association Presents
"Palmetto Bluegrass Profiles"
A CD review by Barry R. Willis
Bluegrass has evolved considerably through the years. It was bound to because of modern influences after the 1950s. I'm glad to report that this compact disc is NOT one of those projects which feature the modern sounds. The traditional stuff is alive and well…and strong. "Palmetto Bluegrass Profiles" features the powerful and important traditional bluegrass music. While we might listen to and even love the modern styles of bluegrass, the reason bluegrass will forever continue its popularity throughout the world is because of the substance of its earliest forms which sprouted during the 1940s through the 1950s, giving special credit to Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs as pivotal individuals.
The project features twenty-two songs by these bands. The band include Carolina Rebels, Carolina Bluegrass, Southern Expedition, Pinetuckett, Bill Wells and the Blue Ridge Mountain Grass, Dark Corner, Pappy Sherrill and the Hired Hands, New Bluegrass Gospel Connection, Bob Moore and the Lucas Brothers, Roffie Griggs Band and Shortview. Songs include well known songs such as "Lonesome Pine," "Big Mon" and many lesser known songs. All of the eleven bands on this compact disc are active members of the South Carolina Bluegrass and Traditional Music Association. Some of the performances were recorded live, some in a studio under the close supervision of Dr. Larry Klein and others. Klein is the resophonic guitarist in two local bands, the host of "The Bluegrass Sound" radio show, and one of the originators of this project. Other people critical to this product include Sandi Bethel, Pat Ahrens, Jim Gray, Vaughn Moureaux, Bill Wells and David Crow.
"The Palmetto Bluegrass Profiles" is dedicated to Snuffy Jenkins who lived in the Columbia, SC, area for over fifty years and, according to Larry Klein, the most important banjo player in the history of the five-string banjo in the time leading up to Carolinians Don Reno and Earl Scruggs. The only real weak part in this project is its liner notes. Too bad, for the music is great. The liner notes do, however, have photos of each band.. This shows that most of the band members dress with ties or even suits and demonstrates to me that they have considerable respect for bluegrass music and its traditions. The tunes and songs are carefully chosen to heighten our pleasant experience with bluegrass music.
I could use extreme critique and tell you that there is a timing problem in one of the songs. Or I could tell you that some of the self-mixing during a live performance is a bit weak. But I'd offset this with the delightful resonator guitar in Dark Corner: This guy has it all together and really enhances the band's overall sound. This project ends up being excellent bluegrass music. It exhibits the variety we find in bluegrass and we find a drive to excitement throughout the recording. The homespun aspect of this project demonstrates just how important bluegrass music is to the good folks of the Carolinas by being an excellent example of neighbors playing on their back porches or performing at the local Sunday community gathering. From instrumentals to vocal songs, I like it. If you'd like your own precious copy of "Palmetto" contact SCBTMA at 710 Meeting St., West Columbia, SC, 29169, 803-796-6477, or http://expresswebs.com/scbtma.
author/publisher of "America's Music: Bluegrass" www.pinevalleymusic.com
11/15/01
by Josh Williams
Pinecastle Records PRC-CD-115
A CD review by Barry R. Willis
Josh Williams' first solo release is a humdinger. It exhibits his many instrumental skills on guitar, mandolin and banjo and a mature bluegrass voice. Together with some excellent songwriting and an incomparable list of sidemen and excellent production, Josh achieved a fine achievement in this compact disc. His sidemen include Aubrey Haynie, Don Rigsby, Sammy Shelor, Chris Thile, J.D. Crowe, Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, David Parmley and Ron Stewart. Songwriting credits include himself, Kim Fox, Pete Goble, Tom T. and Dixie Hall, and Carl Jackson. All outstanding in the field of bluegrass. These days we find Josh with Greg Cahill's A Special Consensus band. Greg always picks some super talent for his band members and he found a highly-qualified multi-instrumentalist and smooth vocalist when he hired Josh. While this project includes some traditional bluegrass, it also goes beyond bluegrass limits into other types of music which Josh likes. For example, while I don't think even Steve Spurgin can call "Moonlight Motor Inn" bluegrass, both Spurgin and Josh include it under the bluegrass umbrella. His "An Eye for an Eye" performance here takes liberties on traditional bluegrass which seemed impossible only a few years ago. And a swing version of "All of Me" further deviates from the bluegrass genre. "Now That You're Gone" is quite pleasant. It's a slow one which exhibits a mature and expressive voice. I like this one a lot. So what we have here is a creation of a young, creative musician who wants to play good music, and not just the bluegrass type. But I kind of expected instrumentals from a person who's instrumental credentials include a considerable number of awards on the bluegrass instruments. There are no instrumentals on this CD. Rather straight ahead in its presentation, the project is a good work from a man whose promise in music is considerable. Josh is only about twenty now. This is a good first work for a very good singer and player of bluegrass genre music. Barry Willis author/publisher of "America's Music: Bluegrass" www.pinevalleymusic.com
11/15/01
by Wildfire
Pinecastle Records PRC-1114
A CD review by Barry R. Willis
Phil Leadbetter and his Wildfire bluegrass band has come up with a winner with "Uncontained." If you like hard-driving bluegrass which is "on the edge" yet with strong traditional roots, you'll like this new release from Pinecastle Records. Everyone in Wildfire was formerly with J.D. Crowe and the New South. Phil: "I think we are playing from the edge, but Wildfire has also learned the old style (drive, attack, etc.) from the time spent with Crowe. He taught us a lot. We just went a little more toward the edge with some of our ideas." In the eternal search for a band to find its own sound, we find here that Wildfire has a refreshing and distinctive sound. While Bill Monroe's band was based around his mandolin and Jim and Jesse's music was based around their vocal harmonies, Phil Leadbetter's Wildfire adds an interesting and constant resonator guitar (a.k.a. Dobro®) throughout the music. It's different and refreshing. We can now pick out Wildfire from other modern bluegrass bands. Innovative, in my opinion. But, as Mr. Leadbetter described his motives to me for this review, "I just tried to do what I felt inside. I didn't want to sound like anyone else. I've not really tried to be dominant. I have always just tried to be the very best I could be." In addition to Phil, other band members are Robert Hale, Darrell Webb and Curt Chapman. Hale and Webb both sing expressive and effective lead vocals. Hale, who brought the bulk of the tunes to this band, was earlier in a band called Livewire with Scott Vestal/banjo and Wayne Benson/mandolin. "They were really ahead of their time," said Phil. Webb worked with the Lonesome River Band awhile. Phil's fine harmony vocals were refined with CBS recording artist Vern Gosdin who was pretty famous in the '80s. Wildfire also invited the exciting and, I think, necessary banjo of Scott Vestal to join the band for the recording. Good idea! Really added a lot of bluegrass feel to the recording. They also invited Sonya Isaacs on harmony vocals to help fill in the project for a more complete sound. Jesse Jones is on percussion. The final mix for this self-produced project was done by the well-known Bil Vorndick. Phil described his music to me as "on the progressive side" (they used drums on a few cuts). "We try to stretch it just a little bit. Always looking for something new." The tune selections for the band came from the effort to find more up-to-date tunes that appeal to some of the younger folks but, at the same time, not lose the sound that also appeals to the older crowd. I especially like the first tune "Rough Edges" penned by the late Randall Hylton. Full speed ahead and dynamic, it sets the stage for the terrific music which is to follow. I especially like the lines in the chorus: "I got rough edges all over me and I can't change, not even for you. …Those edges will never be smooth." Obviously written by somebody who understands himself and who isn't afraid of telling others of his limitations. Another of the twelve songs which is especially memorable to me is reminiscent of "Little Sadie" and other tunes we bluegrassers are familiar with which include the line, "that figure in the picture looks a lot like me" and they punish him for a murder he committed. It's called, "Maria (Love to See You Again)" written by Curtis Allen and Marty Stuart. Competently produced and mixed, "Uncontained" takes us through a musical journey which spans "on-the-edge," "progressive," and traditional. This is definitely a fine musical experience. Contact for this band is info@pinecastle.com or http://pinecastle.com or 5108 S. Orange Ave, Orlando FL 32809 phone 407-856-0245 or www.thewildfireband.com.
author/publisher of "America's Music: Bluegrass"
www.pinevalleymusic.com
11/15/01
Selected previous reviews may be found in the Archives of Bluegrass World Daily News
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Revised 11/15/01 Neal J. Backues