"Bring It On Home" - Joan Osborne - A Review

 Joan Osborne has a real hot record here. She has given the Blues a shot this time around and boy, it really works for her. She has picked a great selection of blues classics and it really sounds hot. It is recorded on a studer multi track tape recorder and it is a great ,warm analog recording. There is great blues guitar, blues harp and it sounds like she is enjoying herself singing these songs. Osborne has a voice that is unique and she knows how to use it. I love the Digipak album cover, very nice picture of her face on front.

   The CD starts out with a hot reading of "I Don't Need No Doctor", this works well, then she breaks into a slower groove on the cover track, "Bring It On Home". "I'm Qualified" is a great song with some neat background vocals. Her co-producer and herself have put out a real work of art here. Jack Petruzzelli is the co-producer and also a guitar player on the CD. "Champagne and Wine" is a sensuous, love,bluesy tune with some killer guitar fades.

   Joan has come out cooking and maintains a good groove thru out the disc. The musicians and singers nail most of the songs on a couple of takes. This is something that you need to check out if you are a blues fan or an Osborne fan. Real nice booklet with some quotes from Joan about the songs she has picked. It has some great pics too. Look for it around March 27,2012.

www.joanosborne.com
www.saguaroroadrecords.com

"Computers, Social Networks, and the lack of Great New Bands and Artists"

 Being a Baby Boomer, I grew up in the Golden Age of American Music. The 60s and 70s brought out a lot of great new artists, genres and music which still shines today on CDs. In the era of  records, you had to be good to get a record deal, because making a good record required a big label studio ,real A and R people and a scene that was incredible in lots of ways.

  In Memphis, you had Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. You had a heavy influence of English musicians starting with the Beatles who propelled rock music to a new level. You had Cream, The Who and The Rolling Stones as iconic groups.

   In Nashville, music row and The Grand Ole Opry was in full flight with artists like Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, and a thriving business which is alive now, more than ever.

  Artists had something to say or express with their music; the first protest musicians who were not afraid to use music and lyrics as a tool to protest Vietnam War. There was a generation that were not afraid to go against the grain and let their message out. Country Joe and The Fish with "It's 1,2,3 What are we fighting for". It was a time of questioning what was going on and protest and "4 Dead In Ohio" by Crosby,Stills,Nash and Young was a true story song that was a great song in it's own merits.

    They were part of the west coast hippie movement including the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service , Jefferson Airplane and a Spanish guitarist named Carlos Santana. This movement had a life of it's own.

  Meanwhile, Down South, We have the new southern Rock scene with many great bands featuring Lynyrd Skynrd, the Allman Brothers Band and the Marshall Tucker Band. I am just dancing around the periphery here with these groups, there were so many more important bands.

   So, What's going on Today? A lot of the same artists releasing new music from Thirty Years ago. And We have the computer and the vanishing CD. Along the way, We started with Records, to Eight track tapes, cassette tapes (which I still Like), to CDs and now the ipod with it's mp3 format. A generation of young folk who have grown up listening to mp3s, They can't appreciate what the Baby Boomers like myself had ,growing up with full bandwidth analog music. Music will always survive, in what form, that is the Question.

Check Out New Marty Stuart Music

A Tease From the Grascals. - Kristin Practicing in Studio

 This is a snippet of Kristin Scott Benson practicing with Grascals for their new CD, the song is called "Pretty Song".  It is a candid shot of studio time and how they work, notice, she is not playing her Gold colored banjo that she uses in show, but another one that probably sounds better to her, I don't know banjos, so I can't really say why she made the choice. One thing that I do know, I think she is one of the best banjo players in Bluegrass, that has proved itself in awards she has won, looking forward to their new CD. Hope there is some lead guitar on CD.

Lonesome River Band - Chronology - Volume One - A Review

This group is one of the true iconic groups of Bluegrass Music. To celebrate their last 30 years of recording and playing music, they will be making 3 of these EPs, eight songs on each CD and each disc will cover a decade. Their last two CDs with Rural Rhythm Records have both been very successful, each being #1 on the Bluegrass charts. Those were "Still Learning" and "No Turning Back". This band has had many of the bluegrass greats , like Dan Tyminski and Adam Steffey pass thru it over the years. The present Lineup consists of Sammy Shelor(banjo and harmony vocals), Brandon Rickman (guitar, lead and harmony vocals), Randy Jones (mandolin, lead and harmony vocals), Mike Hartgrove (fiddle), and Barry Reed  (bass and harmony vocals). 

   "Hobo Blues" is one of my favorites, it starts out with a very syncopated, jazzy type beginning, Bass is awesome. Then banjo comes in and it goes into a bluesy/bluegrass tune with a lot of punch. This recording is big studio all of the way, it has that sound of a big label CD. The mix and interaction of the banjo, mandolin,guitar and fiddle is quite excellent. Great vocal harmonies too and a nice reverb wash like records of old. Right after this song, the band kicks into a great hoedown type instrumental, with lots of fiddle, mandolin and all instruments get involved. It really has a live flavor to it. The rhythm guitar drives the song and there are snitches of lead guitar too.

   The CD starts out with "Close The Door Lightly when You Go". It is an upbeat ,heartbreak song. Great vocal harmonies. The instrument tones are great, This is a sparkling mix of songs. There is a very good booklet which describes where each song came from and who does the parts on the new versions. You have to get this if you like The NRB. It is remarkable, one of the best recordings that I have heard recently done in a very inspired fashion.

              www.lonesomeriverband.com

"The Gospel Side Of Dailey And Vincent" - a review

This is one of the most eclectic gospel ,Bluegrass CDs that I have ever heard. There is an incredible amount of talent in each of these songs. The most important feature is the wonderful way Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent sing together.

  The sparse "Family Bible" (W. Nelson) with just guitars in accompaniment is slow paced and beautiful. Bryan Sutton plays guitar, but just chords, no lead.

  On the other hand you have "The 4th Man in the Fire" which is an uptempo piano based gospel song. There is a real low voice in the mix,there are so many guest vocalists including the angelic Sonya Isaacs on this CD.

  "Until at last I'm Home" (Vincent and others) is moderate paced with piano and few instruments, but loads of beautiful harmony.

  "Come Back To Me" (Jimmy Fortune) This is my favorite featuring Sutton on guitar and also Darrin Vincent. A very sweet melody,Sutton's playing is very subtle with lots of sweet resonance.

  This Disc is engineered by Michael Latterell at Trinity Sound and He also mixed it. Excellent job here as this was no easy project to mix. Mastered by Paul Blakemore at CMG Mastering.

   This is Dailey and Vincent's second gospel CD. I did not hear the first one, but this would be hard to top. I think that there is a style here for everyone. Also, this is a CrackerBarrel project, I have yet to review a less than stellar CrackerBarrel CD. This Cd will leave you refreshed!!

  www.daileyandvincent.com
  www.crackerbarrel.com  

"Trailblazer" - The Roys

"Country Side Of Bluegrass" - Janie Fricke - A Review

  Thirty years ago, Janie Fricke would have been a household name in country radio. Now she is singing an excellent bluegrass style produced by Bill Vorndick,popular Nashville bluegrass producer, has produced a lot of Rhonda Vincent CDs. This set is a mix of some of her old hits and some other popular tunes. This mix has a real refreshing sound. Johnny Hiland sounds great playing acoustic guitar, he's a legend of a Nashville picker. His acoustic playing is so fluid, reminds me a bit of Tony Rice. He has some excellent company with David Talbot on banjo, Randy Kohrs on dobro, Andy Leftwich on fiddle, Glen Duncan and Jimmy Mattingly on mandolin and fiddle. Then, we have Chip Davis, Margie Cates and Judy Rodman on background vocals. Mark Fain on bass and Bob Mater on drums keep the bottom line. Interesting, but, back in the day, Hiland was playing on her records.

   The Roys are now touring with Janie. My Favorite song on the disc is "Faithless Love" (J.D. Souther), which is a standard made popular by Linda Ronstadt in the Seventies. The Roys back her up on it on the show. It is a very beautiful version. This is sort of a sad Heartbreak song.

   "He's A Heartache" (J.Silbar/L. Henley) - This was Fricke's third number one hit. It is a real upbeat toe tapper. It has more of Hiland's smooth guitar pickin'. I really like this version.

   "Please Help Me, I'm Falling(In love with you) (Blair/Robertson) - This is an old time country song that Janie did on the opry many times, nice country tune.

    "Down To My Last Broken Heart" (C. Rains) - I like this popular song done in a bluegrass style. Ricky Skaggs sang harmony on the original version. 

    "I'll need Someone to Hold me (When I Cry)" (Holyfield/Mcdill) - is a great song with a great message, the writer ,Bob Mcdill was popular in 1980 when this was released. She has always liked to do this song live.

    "Ring Of Fire" -(June Carter Cash) - This is an iconic country song, Fricke really does it justice, In case you are not familiar with it, it was made popular by Johnny Cash and The Carter Family. Really nice guitar riffs by Hiland, just a splendid version.

      This is definitely a CD to buy, if you are a fan of country and bluegrass, Splendid! Buy it at her site.

www.janiefricke.com

"Justified"- Cumberland River

Song on TV Show, Justified by "Cumberland River", a bit of rockin' bluegrass.