Only Me - Rhonda Vincent - A Review

Rhonda Vincent releases her new 2 CD package "Only Me" on Upper Management Music 1/28/14.

  Rhonda has been singing and picking traditional bluegrass music for quite a while now. The Bluegrass CD has a real rich sound recorded at her own Studio , Adventures Studio by recording engineer, Joey Crawford, who also mixed the CD. Present day Rage is Hunter Berry on fiddle, Brent Burke on resophonic guitar, Mickey Harris on upright bass, with Aaron Macdaris on banjo. Rhonda plays mandolin and Josh Williams plays some real good guitar. Willie Nelson his guitar on title track "Only Me" which is a duet with Rhonda. Darryl Singletary sings a song with Rhonda on the bluegrass CD "We Must Have Been Out Of Our Minds". The instruments sound great on the bluegrass side with Rhonda playing some great mandolin. It's hard to believe that she has been recording since 1967. She still looks gorgeous and her vocals are beautiful. Dolly Parton gives her a compliment on her great bluegrass singing in the credits. Very good song selection which is one with a live sounding vibe.

   Rhonda's last CD was two years ago, a gospel CD "Sunday Morning Singing".  The country CD is equally good, her earlier CDs on Giant Records during the ninetys were country. Her country voice reminds me a bit of Lee Ann Womack. She starts out with a song that she wrote herself called "Teardrops Over You" which is a great slow song. The country record was recorded at the tracking room in Nashville ,featuring Tim Crouch on fiddle, Kevin Grant on upright bass, Carl Jackson on acoustic guitar, Mark Johnson who is incredible on pedal steel . Catherine Marx on piano, James Mitchell on lead guitar, Michael Rojas plays piano on (Drivin' Nails) and Lonnie Wilson on drums.

    The country CD has a great selection of songs by well known writers like Bill Anderson.  It has Rhonda's great country voice with some just dynamite interplay with the musicians, especially Mike Johnson on pedal steel, James Mitchell on electric guitar and Catherine Marx on piano. Recorded again by Joey Crawford with some assist by Jarad Clement. I remember the days when the great Bill Voorndick recorded most of Vincent's music.  This CD has some great artwork with Rhonda on the cover looking great with some nice design ideas, one being that it has this special jewel case for two CDs that really work. I have really enjoyed Vincent's CD. If you like the real deal, Rhonda is it.

                                www.rhondavincent.com

George Jones,Randy Houser,Josh Turner,Oak Ridge Boys,Phil Vassar,Gretchen Wilson,Chuck Wicks,Craig Morgan,Charlie Daniels and many more join the Boot Campaign

GEORGE JONES, RANDY HOUSER, JOSH TURNER, OAK RIDGE BOYS,


PHIL VASSAR, GRETCHEN WILSON, JUSTIN MOORE,

CHUCK WICKS, CRAIG MORGAN, CHARLIE DANIELS

AND MANY MORE JOIN THE BOOT CAMPAIGN

Nashville, TN (January 17, 2011) - One-by-one country music stars are taking off their cowboy boots and replacing them with army boots! The Boot Campaign was inspired by retired US Navy SEAL and author of the book Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell. The campaign is a way for Americans to give back and say thank you to our armed forces.



Country music stars involved include: legends like George Jones, Oak Ridge Boys, Jan Howard, Mel Tillis, Lee Greenwood and Charlie Daniels, along with hit-makers Josh Turner, Phil Vassar, Joe Nichols, Randy Houser, Gretchen Wilson, Little Texas, Joe Diffie, Jamie O’Neal, Heidi Newfield, Justin Moore, Chuck Wicks, Colt Ford, Randy Rogers Band, Eli Young Band, Derek Sholl, Joey + Rory and Jack Ingram.



Charlie Daniels, who even chose the Boot Campaign to be a part of his annual charity event at the Nashville Palm said, “I’ve never seen anything quite as unique as the Boot Campaign, and I’ve seen a lot!”



Also on board are bluegrass artists The Grascals and The Roys, along with Texas sensations Cross Canadian Ragweed, Robert Earl Keen, Jason Boland, Aaron Watson, Mick and the Motorcars, Reckless Kelly, Wade Bowen, Kevin Fowler, Stoney LaRue, No Justice, Bleu Edmondson, and Granger Smith.



These celebrities along with the Boot Girls are helping to spread the organizations motto: “When They Come Back, We Give Back!” The campaign encourages Americans to purchase a pair of army combat boots to wear in support of our nation’s troops. Proceeds from the boot sales are donated to partner charities, including Luttrell’s Lone Survivor Foundation.



About The Boot Campaign

Known as “the Boot Girls,” Ginger, Leigh Ann, Sherri, Heather and Mariae banned together one fateful night in Tyler, Texas to launch The Boot Campaign giving gratitude and appreciation for the American military. The initiative is quickly gaining awareness with the repertoire of boot images expanding every day. The Boot Girls ask Americans to put their boots on during the routine of daily life to symbolically walk in the shoes of our military men and women, remembering their service and sacrifice. The Campaign’s signature boots are available for purchase online with proceeds benefiting organizations like The Lone Survivor Foundation.



For more information about The Boot Campaign, please visit: www.bootcampaign.com







Media Contact:

Webster & Associates, LLC

Lindsey Cate / 615-777-6995 x221

lindsey@websterpr.com

"Down Home" - Josh Williams - A Review

Josh Williams is a former guitarist for the Rage, Rhonda Vincents group. I just reviewed another CD recently for another former Rager, Audie Blaylock. She must produce good musicians, because they are both very good CDs. The title Down Home is a good description of the CD. It is very down homey with sweet bluegrass instruments and songs about family and life.

Josh is a very good guitarist and plays almost all guitar here, both rhythm and lead. His leads really are very good and melodic, His mentor Tony Rice plays on one song "Blue Railroad Train". Josh does not write any of the songs , but he uses first class material, mostly great story songs . The Title track is a beautiful ballad. The music is so sweet backing up his vocals.

Some of the musicians that Williams uses are Mickey Harris on Bass, Randy Kohrs on Dobro, Jason Carter and others on fiddle.
Rhonda Vincent sings backup on a couple of songs. Aaron Mcdaris plays banjo, Stuart Duncan does some of the fiddle. Tony Creasman does percussion. These songs plain move or they will move you, like a good bluegrass ballad. Some of the songs have a pedal steel on them. Josh has a very good voice and knows how to take hold of a song. "Streets Of Bakersfield" is an upbeat bluegrass song that the musicians really take it up a notch. "Dream Of Me" is a ballad that has some good hooks and a really nice chorus with great harmonies.

"We'll Burn That Bridge" is an upbeat song with more good singing and playing. I am really surprised at the good collection of songs that Williams has found for this project. And his musicians are really good, he uses 2 or 3 banjo players, so you get some great banjo, but some different styles too. "Blue Water' is another killer ballad, that really makes you listen. Josh has a great career as a solo musician with a CD like this. And that is saying alot with all of the talent out there in the bluegrass market. I hear that he is working on a new Cd for later this year. If you like good bluegrass with a modern touch, just in the recording and production, otherwise, the material is pretty traditional, you should love this.