Well, it takes some kind of hubris to review an album from a band as successful as the Lonesome River Band, but here goes: this is an album well worth a listen. The band (Sammy Shelor on banjo and vocals, … Read More
I’m pretty sure that the Hudson Valley has fewer Christian Bluegrass fans than other parts of the country, but I’m sure I’m not the only one here who loves gospel bluegrass songs. And if you’re on the fence – you … Read More
I’ll be honest: before I heard this album I had never heard of Vern Williams and Ray Park. To me, it just sounded like Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick were singing the songs I heard while I was growing up. … Read More
Donna Hughes, whose unstrained, contented voice has long appealed to me, has recently released an album, From the Heart, which shows her heart is also perfectly unstrained and contented. If you love bluegrass for its bitter stories or strained harmonies, … Read More
This is a minimalist’s dream of an album. For the most part it is just Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott and a guitar or two. There are guest appearances (my favorite is John Prine singing on his own song “Paradise.”) … Read More
I am not one of those people who is ultra-nostalgic for the past. The past was hard, and I tend to see progress as time goes by. However, there are a few things about the early sixties that do make … Read More
I have to admit that, although I’m a big fan of the Carter family and the Cox family, I liked this band a little better before I found out they were a family band. Something about the term “family band” … Read More