There is a uniquely beautiful energy to all that Crooked Still does, and that holds true for their fourth and latest album Some Strange Country. The band is fueled by singer Aoife O’Donovan, bassist Corey DiMario, banjo player Greg Liszt, cellist Tristan Clarridge, and fiddler Brittany Haas. Crooked Still’s sound can hardly be characterized as bluegrass, nor any standard genre for that matter. They have established their sound as one that blurs borders; their music is at once complex and simple, haunting and sweet, and they excel at bringing old into the new. As fiddler Brittany Haas commented, “the music is not just ‘alternative bluegrass’ or whatever people used to call it. It’s at another level now: artful, but still grounded in that funky, string band thing.”
The new CD by C.B. Smith, Flesh and Bone is excellent. All the songs on the album are C.B.'s compositions.
C.B. has something to say about life's ups and downs and he expertly creates the rhythm, melody, and words to convey each story. I was immediately struck by the catchy rhythms he has created, and was amazed that each new cut presented me with another no less appealing than the last. Rhythmically there are no duds filling up this CD, each cut has a new groove that the band gets into. The core band, The Lucky Devils, is composed of C.B. on guitar, Matt Bowe on mandolin, Andy Bing on Dobro, and Chuck Jacobs on bass. C.B. does the lead singing but the rest of the band takes turns joining in harmony. Additionally there are a number of other musicians adding to one or another tracks including Bill Keith (banjo), Leslie Ritter (voice), Jane Scarpantoni (cello), and Fooch Fischetti (fiddle).
Paul Williams and The Victory Trio: Just A Little Closer Home
Written by Jack Dwyer
If you know the music of Paul Williams, you will know exactly what to expect from any Rebel release featuring Paul Williams and The Victory Trio. Indeed, Just A Little Closer Home delivers much more than just a few moments of bluegrass gospel bliss. Even if the name Paul Williams is unfamiliar, bluegrass listeners will already be well acquainted with Mr. Williams through his extensive work with Jimmy Martin. Williams performed and recorded with Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys from 1958 to 1962 and appears on many of his most well known recordings, in particular Martin’s earlier gospel recording.
Heartaches and Dreams: Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice
Written by Dave Angell
"Who is Junior Sisk?" I asked Bob Milliken, as he told me the song he just sang was by Sisk. To me, Bob comes up with the best selection of songs I've ever heard played at a bluegrass jam, and this one was great. Bob replied, "Junior has a band called Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice." So I did a little homework and found that Junior has been very successful in bluegrass as a songwriter and singer. Besides his own band he has played with Wyatt Rice and Santa Cruz, Lost and Found, and Blue Ridge. Junior is from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, as are all but one of the musicians in the current configuration of Ramblers Choice. The sound this band embodies harkens back to the sound of the Stanley Brothers, and captured today by The James King Band. Juniors voice is central to the sound of his band. It is intense, full, and strong, and carries the signature sound of the Virginia hills.
Review of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Get Low
Written by Iain Birchwood
Does anyone buy CDs these days? An informal survey of people I know yielded the somewhat predictable conclusion that most of us prefer to download individual songs and ‘cherry-pick’ albums for our favorite tracks. So, unless you are a die-hard fan of the movie Get Low or have unusually eclectic tastes in music, that is what you’ll want to do with this soundtrack album featuring various artists and released on the Rounder label.
There is a uniquely beautiful energy to all that Crooked Still does, and that holds true for their fourth and latest album Some Strange Country. The band is fueled by singer Aoife O’Donovan, bassist Corey DiMario, banjo player Greg Liszt, cellist Tristan Clarridge, and fiddler Brittany Haas. Crooked Still’s sound can hardly be characterized as bluegrass, nor any standard genre for that matter. They have established their sound as one that blurs borders; their music is at once complex and simple, haunting and sweet, and they excel at bringing old into the new. As fiddler Brittany Haas commented, “the music is not just ‘alternative bluegrass’ or whatever people used to call it. It’s at another level now: artful, but still grounded in that funky, string band thing.”
The new CD by C.B. Smith, Flesh and Bone is excellent. All the songs on the album are C.B.'s compositions. 
If you know the music of Paul Williams, you will know exactly what to expect from any Rebel release featuring Paul Williams and The Victory Trio. Indeed, Just A Little Closer Home delivers much more than just a few moments of bluegrass gospel bliss. Even if the name Paul Williams is unfamiliar, bluegrass listeners will already be well acquainted with Mr. Williams through his extensive work with Jimmy Martin. Williams performed and recorded with Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys from 1958 to 1962 and appears on many of his most well known recordings, in particular Martin’s earlier gospel recording.
"Who is Junior Sisk?" I asked Bob Milliken, as he told me the song he just sang was by Sisk. To me, Bob comes up with the best selection of songs I've ever heard played at a bluegrass jam, and this one was great. Bob replied, "Junior has a band called Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice." So I did a little homework and found that Junior has been very successful in bluegrass as a songwriter and singer. Besides his own band he has played with Wyatt Rice and Santa Cruz, Lost and Found, and Blue Ridge. Junior is from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, as are all but one of the musicians in the current configuration of Ramblers Choice. The sound this band embodies harkens back to the sound of the Stanley Brothers, and captured today by The James King Band. Juniors voice is central to the sound of his band. It is intense, full, and strong, and carries the signature sound of the Virginia hills.
