Lee Zimmerman has been a writer and reviewer for the better part of the past 20 years. He writes for the following publications — No Depression, Goldmine, Country Standard TIme, Paste, Relix, Lincoln Center Spotlight, Fader, and Glide. A lifelong music obsessive and avid collector, he firmly believes that music provides the soundtrack for our lives and his reverence for the artists, performers and creative mind that go into creating their craft spurs his inspiration and motivation for every word hie writes.
Byron Hill can claim an impressive backstory. His songs have graced no fewer than 100 gold and platinum albums and singles, earning him ten ASCAP awards and 36 US and Canadian top-ten hits, as well as hits in many international markets. No fewer than eighteen members of the Country Music Hall of Fame have recorded his songs.
Hill was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. His music spans more than four decades, and includes hits and album tracks recorded by George Strait, Alabama, Ray Charles, Kenny Rogers, Reba McEntire, Don Williams, John Michael Montgomery, Juice Newton, Joe Nichols, Randy Travis, Keith Whitley, Jason Aldean, Trace Adkins, Conway Twitty, Jeff Bates, Highway 101, Barbara Mandrell, Mel McDaniel, Mark Chesnutt, Rhett Akins, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Whites, Ricky Van Shelton, The Seekers, Rhonda Vincent, Lonesome River Band, The Grascals, The Seldom Scene, Doc & Merle Watson, Asleep At The Wheel, Dionne Warwick, Toby Keith, Gene Watson, Margo Smith, Mark Wills, The Kendalls, Porter Wagoner, Sha Na Na, Moe Bandy, Clint Eastwood, Joe Diffie, and Hank Thompson, among many others.
In addition, his material has been included in several feature films, network programs, and cable TV shows and series.
That’s an impressive resume to be sure, but strangely enough, Hill’s personal resume has largely escaped the public eye. Hopefully then, that will change with the release of his new seven song mini LP, That Old Mountain. Garnering support from an all-star list of veteran session players — Evan Winsor (bass), Jonah Horton (mandolin), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Scott Vestal (banjo), Cody Kilby (guitar) — and Hill himself on vocals, guitar, Irish fiddle, and production, it’s a most impressive set of moving and memorable songs, composed by Hill and occasional co-writer Glen Duncan.
While the credentials don’t get any more impressive than those listed above, as always, it’s the music that matters. And here again, Hill proves that point decidedly. It’s filtered through with quiet contentment, while sharing a sense of sheer affirmation throughout. That’s evident from the outset with the quiet narrative Mountain Folks Are Always High, a song that shares the celebratory stance stated in its title. Nobody Knows But Me offers a first-hand account of a life on the run, one that finds the protagonist proudly proclaiming that no one was hurt while committing his crimes. Finally, the title track provides a nice sandwich for the set, offering an ode to the altitude that creates a higher plain.
Hill’s incessant charms, melodies and devotion to his Appalachian environs are obvious with each of these engaging encounters. As a result, That Old Mountain can be considered a most desirable destination indeed.
Having originated in the south of France, specifically in the Nîmes region located between the Mediterranean and the Cévennes Mountains, the group that refers to itself as New Blue Quitach has become one of their country’s foremost bluegrass bands. As such, the musicians pride themselves on striking a balance between a traditional template and a modern motif. They put an emphasis on four-part harmonies, but integrate other disparate elements as well, including Irish melodies and hints of rock and blues. In the process, they offer unique adaptations of songs spawned from their native environs.
The group — which currently consists of Erick Millet (banjo, vocals), Benoît Robbe (guitar, lead vocals), Bernard Minari (mandolin, vocals), and Jean-Paul Jamot (bass, vocals) — has performed at any number of prestigious European gatherings, among them, the Toulouse Festival, the Country Rendez-vous, Paloma in Nîmes, the Nice American Music Festival Pézenas Country Festival, and, most recently, the La Roche Bluegrass Festival and the Al Ras Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
We here at Bluegrass Today took note of the latter. “The Al Ras Bluegrass and Old Time Festival 2024 was a true celebration of music, community and culture… spanning four days in different venues across Barcelona….Friday’s events at La Sedeta were a testament to this unity. The French bluegrass band, New Blue Quitach, put on a remarkable show, demonstrating once again the cross-cultural cross-pollination that makes this festival unique. After the show, the musicians went down to the bar, where members of New Blue Quitach led the improvised cover of Country Roads, which resonated in the La Sedeta cultural center.”
The band has also released several well received CDs, and recently represented France at the Jam Thon event, as organized by the California Music Association.
“Although our latest album was delayed due to health issues affecting two members, the project is now back on track and will include original compositions in both French and English, as well as instrumental piece,” Robbe remarked.
Robbe isn’t an original member of the band, but he currently takes a prime role in its ongoing efforts. “Erick Millet remains the founder and pillar of the group,” he explains. “I joined the band a few years ago, followed later by Jean-Maurice Lassouque. The arrival of mandolinist Bernard Minari brought new energy to the group, as did the addition of Jean-Paul Jamot on bass, replacing Jean-Maurice who had to step back due to health reasons. Today, the band remains deeply attached to the traditional acoustic sound of bluegrass, at times enriched by the contribution of guest singer Nathalie Andruszczak.”
The band draws inspiration from such bands as Seldom Scene, Hot Rize, Lonesome River Band, and The Country Gentlemen, but so too, each member has his own personal proviso. Minari’s music is informed by Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, and David Grisman. Millet admires Earl Scruggs and Sammy Shelor, but is also a fan of Alison Brown. For his part, Robbe worked on guitar technique with Christian Séguret and François Vola.
The associations and collaborations don’t stop there. As a whole, New Blue Quitach has had opportunities to share stages with a number of notable artists. They’ve opened for international performers of high repute that include Claude Bolling, Sanseverino, and the Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band.
“We also performed at the Craponne Festival the same year as Alison Krauss,” Robbe recalls.
“In addition, we played with Emory Lester at the Festival de Barjols and collaborated with Jean-Luc Leroux, a mandolinist from New Caledonia, during one of our concerts here in France. Plus, we performed alongside Canadian musicians Joey Wright and Jenny Whiteley to a sold-out audience at the Théâtre de Nîmes.”
It’s hardly surprising then that Robbe has a very definite opinion on why bluegrass has attained its international popularity, especially as it applies to the realms where he resides.
“Bluegrass is experiencing a true resurgence in Europe, with the emergence of talented musicians and promising young bands, particularly in France,” he insists. “In a world where music is increasingly digitized and standardized, the return to authentic sounds and acoustic music has become a necessity. New Blue Quitach fully embraces this movement, offering a pure sound and infectious energy, as evidenced by our acoustic concerts.”
He also adds an afterthought.
“Bluegrass music remains a genre with a unique discipline,” Robbe suggests. “It’s not always fully understood unless it’s actively practiced.”
Happily, New Blue Quitach makes it a point to do just that.
For more information on New Blue Quitach, visit them online.
There’s something special about holiday traditions, one that all but demands a certain reverence. Nevertheless, when a clever and creative twist is applied to cherished memories, well, suffice it to say, they can bring a certain levity to the situation as well.
That’s apparent in the title alone to a new holiday ditty, Santa Ate A Gummy, courtesy of Tim O’Brien and Ben Winship. The song details Santa’s misadventures when one of his elves offers him a gummy on Christmas Eve after St. Nick complains that a backache might impede his midnight mission. Naturally, the jolly old elf is unfamiliar with this supposed antidote and takes one, hoping for some much needed relief. At that point, a series of unexpected and unfortunate results transpires, causing a great deal of chaos, mischief, and misadventures that turn the normally reliable Mr. Claus into a dumbstruck stoner. He not only gets lost along his route but also gets a severe case of the munchies, not only gobbling up all the treats that have been left for him, but the popcorn strung on the tree, the eggnog in the fridge, and practically anything and everything he can get his gloves on.
Released on Snake River Records and recorded at the Henhouse in Victor, ID, this breezy little number with its catchy chorus has all the makings of becoming a holiday standard, albeit from a somewhat loopy perspective..
“Ben’s an old friend who lives in Victor, Idaho,” O’Brien explained when asked how the song came about. “I met him in 1991 when Charles Sawtelle was producing the first Loose Ties record, and I’ve always liked his soulful music.”
Winship offers his own memories of how the track came to be. “For some reason, the idea and title for this song popped into my head at Christmastime about three years ago,” he recalled. “I sat down to write it, but realized I wouldn’t be able to finish it before the holidays. Who needs a new Christmas song in January? I remembered about it the next year with the same result. Finally, this past summer, I overheard someone say, ‘the best time to write a Christmas song is in July,’ and I decided it was now or never.”
At that point, the song started taking shape. “Tim was game and we got it written fairly quickly during a zoom session,” Winship continued. “I had a couple options for melodies in my head and a handful of lyrics. Tim quickly came up with a chorus melody and had some big picture ideas for the narrative arc that I hadn’t thought of. Once we had that down, we both scribbled away on a bunch of verse ideas which we bounced back and forth. 90% of it was done pretty quickly.”
O’Brien picks up the narrative from there. “I was in touch with Ben in July while looking for a wonderful but obscure recording, and he mentioned the idea of this song, which he’d been wanting to write for the past three years. He said he usually remembered the idea during the holiday season, when it was already too late to release. We both knew Mel Torme wrote Chestnuts[The Christmas Song] in the middle of the summer, so I figured the timing was right. We met on Zoom and sketched most of it out. After a few more tweaks over the next week, it was done. The subject matter was certainly ripe for exploitation.”
O’Brien went on to explain that he overdubbed his vocal at home to a track his friend had started in his studio near Jackson Hole with Phil Round on guitar. The others added their parts and the songs took shape.
“For the recording, I produced it in my studio here in Victor,” Winship noted. “I laid down mandolin, banjo, and harmony vocals, then called upon long time bandmates Eric Thorin on bass, Phil Round on guitar, and Mike Patton on melodica. Tim was game to sing the lead vocal — critical to legitimize the song in my opinion — which he recorded at his place in Nashville. To finish out the track, we employed Tim’s old bandmate from the Ophelia Swing band, Washboard Chaz from New Orleans to play washboard. I then called upon Billy Novick — the amazing clarinet player from Boston who was featured prominently on my Fishing Music CDs — to add the clarinet part.”
Notably, Santa Ate A Gummy wasn’t O’Brien’s first attempt to add some levity to holiday happenstance. “There have been various tracks that came together over the decades,” he added. “They’ve always been for sorta special occasions. Thomm Jutz and I co-wrote a song called Old Christmas Day, that came out two years ago on Howdy Skies Records. Before that was I’ll Be Your Santa Baby. There are tracks by Red Knuckles (That White Christmas Song), Tim and Mollie, and some solo songs on various Sugar Hill holiday releases. I did a track with Shawn Camp called Bah Humbug for the Christmas on the Mountain CD. There’s even a whole record called A Christmas Heritage with Darol Anger, Alison Brown, Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, and Phil Aaberg. That band came to be known later as Newgrange. I should mention that Ben recorded a nice Christmas collection with Loose Ties called Yule Ties.”
“Soon after finishing the song,” Winship said, “and never having released a single before, I started to muse about ways to promote it. Given the light-hearted goofiness of the song and the imagery, I thought an animation might be a worthy undertaking. I got in touch with Peter Wallis, an artist I know who used to teach animation at my old high school, and he jumped in with both feet. Now it’s a couple weeks away from Christmas and I’m tickled to have both the song and the video out in the world.”
O’Brien explained that this wasn’t the first time the two men had worked together.
“I got to sing and play on a couple of the Fishing Music CDS that Ben and his partner David Thompson released, and on a couple of Ben’s solo tracks,” O’Brien said. “I produced a Loose Ties recording back in 1994. Other than that, our playing has been limited to informal jams on and off stage.”
While Santa Ate a Gummy is sure to add to this year’s fun and festivities, O’Brien noted that he has several “serious” projects in store for the coming year.
“Jan Fabricius and I are releasing a record in the spring called Paper Flowers,” he offered.“We’re excited about playing the new music on tour next year. There are a dozen songs the two of us wrote with Tom Paxton, a couple Jan and I wrote, and one I wrote alone. Before all that happens, Jan and I tour the UK and Ireland January into February, with a couple of very fine traditional Irish players named Dermot Byrne and Seamie O’Dowd. We have four monthly shows with the equally fine Mike Bub and Shad Cobb at the Station Inn starting February 14.”
In addition, O’Brien said he’s also finishing transcriptions of 40 songs that will be included in a songbook Randy Barrett is putting out on his Barcroft imprint. “He put out Ben Eldridge’s banjo book a couple years ago. I now have thirty-five fairly accurate Sibelius lead sheets filed. Today I transcribed a Hot Rize song called Bending Blades.”
Lastly, O’Brien suggests readers check out the video for Our Home, a song he recorded with Bonnie Prince Billy. “Come to think of it, that song’s got some good holiday spirit,” he added.
You can check out all the Christmas bluegrass we have covered at Bluegrass Today by following this link.
The new combined project by Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman on Jalopy Records represents a super session of sorts shared by two artists with impeccable credentials. A vocalist, banjo player, and guitarist, Brown is a “lifer” as far as her musical commitment is concerned. She began engaging with music at the age of six and now focuses on a traditional template, especially centered on Southern Appalachian melodies featuring banjo and guitar. She’s performed at numerous festivals throughout the US and Europe, been a featured guest on several national radio programs, reaped remarkable sales for her three previous albums, and garnered extensive praise from any number of prestigious pundits, all in addition to winning a number of major middle competitions along the way.
Brown’s collaboration with fiddler and singer Stephanie Coleman brings an added distinction. Like Brown, Coleman began playing at an early age — eight to be precise — and later started performing in the local traditional music scene, specifically Chicago’s legendary Old Town School of Folk Music. At age 12, she began playing professionally and by the time she turned 13, she had already released her debut album. During her teens, she became an in-demand square dance musician for the Chicago Barn Dance Company, and a regular winner at various fiddle competitions. She later joined the acclaimed female string band, Uncle Earl, with whom she toured the world playing festivals and other iconic venues. She’s also performed alongside Rhiannon Giddens, Aoife O’Donovan, Béla Fleck, and Watchhouse’s Andrew Marlin.
The duo’s new combined effort, Lady of the Lake, spotlights the talents of both artists, given that they are the only two players responsible for the four songs that make up their exceptional EP.
The title track finds the two working in sync, sharing an instrumental that provides the impression it was drawn from old country confines. Gone So Long is an uptempo offering that also sounds as if it was spun from Appalachian environs, as underscored by its heartfelt sentiment. Meanwhile, the simple pluck and strum that illuminates Twin Sisters allows for more delicate designs. Nevertheless, it’s the final song of the set, Copper Kettle, that conveys the most tender trappings, a lovely ballad shared with supple heartfelt harmonies and quiet contentment.
Ultimately, Lady of the Lake emerges as an example of genuine emotion spawned from archival origins. As such, it resonates with both feeling and finesse.
There’s something to be said for authenticity, and even though The Lonesome Town Painters hail from Vancouver British Columbia, thousands of miles from Appalachia and the bastions of bluegrass, their allegiance to its fundamental form is undeniable. The band, which consists of Patrick Bartel (banjo, lead and backing vocals), Jeremy Freeman (mandolin, lead and backing vocals), Fred Beach (bass and backing vocals), and Angelo Eidse, guitar (lead and backing vocals), proudly point to the fact that unlike many of their contemporaries, they make no effort to veer from a traditional template. Each of the three albums they’ve released so far has confirmed that fact, given a sound that places emphasis on three and four part harmonies, adept instrumentation, and songs that take their cue from archival origins.
As the title of the quartet’s new album, Our Bluegrass Favorites, so clearly suggests, that tack they take continues courtesy of these 14 classic covers. Each of these offerings retains the emotional core without sacrificing their own dynamic and distinction. Granted, The Lonesome Town Painters don’t mind being accused of simply basking in the basics, but their exuberance and enthusiasm goes hand in hand with that diehard devotion. Their spirited performances are well suited to the verve and variety that have always served that sound so well.
Naturally, the music leans heavily on the familiarity factor, so while certain songs — Close Up the Honky Tonks, Catch a Train and Ride, Shackles & Chains, and Losing You in particular — are likely to stir some musical memories, the vigor and vitality they invest in each allow for a robust revival. That’s particularly true of such songs as Gonna Paint the Town, and Catch A Train and Ride from the Stanley Brothers catalog, and Flatt & Scruggs’ I’ll Take the Blame, where the rousing performances and heartfelt sentiment that accompanies each are never less than front and center. At the same time, the calm, carefree Losing You from Jimmy Martin, and classics Shackles & Chains and More To Be Pitied offer an easy embrace that reinforces the band’s down home designs.
All in all, The Lonesome Town Painters are the epitome of traditional troubadours, and to their credit, their dedication to past precepts allows them to look back by moving the genre forward. And in that regard, it’s hard to imagine they’ll remain lonesome much longer.
Erich Ritter & Bluegrass Beans call central Switzerland home. Each member of the band lives within a two hour drive of one another, and they meet every two weeks for the purpose of making music together.
Given Switzerland’s reputation as a peaceful neutral country, it might imply that Ritter and company keep things safe by maintaining a quiet calm overall. Indeed, given their devotion to a traditional tapestry, that seems to be the case here. The band — which consists of Ritter, its founding member, on guitar, co-founder Adrian Zuber on mandolin, banjo player Res Nobs and bassist Hanspeter Adam — shares a sound that Ritter describes simply as “honest and straight from the heart.”
It’s hard to argue with that.
Ritter and Zuber first became acquainted through their mutual love of music. They formed a country band called The Hobos early on, and later, when the two developed a passion for bluegrass in particular, they founded the Bluegrass Beans in 2001.
“One day we heard that Doyle Lawson was giving a concert in Switzerland at the legendary Country Festival Albisgüetli,” Ritter recalls. “That must have been around 1995 or something. In any case, it was recommended to us that we should attend this concert. We didn’t really know bluegrass, not that band anyway. But that evening, we were incredibly surprised. The uniquely crackling atmosphere that arose when Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver celebrated a wonderful song with just one microphone touched our hearts. Adrian and I decided that very evening that bluegrass was the music we wanted to make!”
Nobs and Adam, who had become acquainted with Ritter and Zuber through various jam sessions, joined the band after an initial change in the line-up.
“There were two problems,” Ritter says cautiously. “Firstly, Adrian was a drummer. How does this fit into a bluegrass band? Secondly, how do we tell our colleagues in the country band?”
Nevertheless, things worked out. “Adrian spontaneously swapped his drums for a mandolin and decided to learn that instrument,” Ritter insists, “and he never let go.”
The band has been successful ever since. “We have continued to discover new bluegrass music, and have always decided from the heart which songs we wanted to play. Bill Monroe, Blue Highway, Ricky Skaggs, Lonesome River Band, and many more have always influenced us. Of course, we have now gotten to know the Krüger Brothers, who we can also call friends.”
Although the band has limited its performances specifically to Switzerland, they’ve managed to appear at all the country’s major festivals. “We were able to play nine times at the Country Music Festival Albisgüetli, which is where we saw Doyle Lawson. We played with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and several times with Dailey & Vincent at the same festival. We were also able to play with the Krüger Brothers several times. Plus, last year we played with East Nash Grass.”
In addition, the band can count the Trucker Festival Interlaken, Country Night Gstaad, Bluegrass Festival Grunderinseli, and Bluegrass Family Festival among the other gatherings in which they’ve taken part. “We play bluegrass festivals and many country festivals,” Ritter continues. “We also perform at many country cruises on the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, we appreciate the very small performances that take place on a small scale.”
Ritter also notes that the band has hit a number of plateaus throughout its 20-plus year career. “A highlight for us were the performances we were able to play at the VIP Apéro at Countrynight Gstaad,” he says. “The Gatlin Brothers, Patty Loveless, and Aaron Watson were sitting in the audience! We were allowed to perform our music for the big stars, which made us very proud. We were also able to travel with the legendary Albert Lee on the Country Music Cruise 20. He and his manager visited us several times at our performances and were really impressed. That was an honor for us. We’ve also been able to appear on stage several times with Florian Fox, the International Country Music Award-winner for Entertainer of the Year 2024 in Switzerland’s Country Music Hall of Fame.”
Ritter added that on November 15th of this year, they had a big surprise. “We were able to celebrate the second anniversary of the International Country Music Hall of Fame of Switzerland by providing the musical accompaniment for the evening. We organized the entire stage show with the presenters over the course of the evening, but what we didn’t know was that we would be recorded at the International Theater that evening. That makes us extremely proud!”
It’s hardly unexpected then that their music has been so well received. “The big stars who heard us at the VIP Apéro were totally surprised that we were playing the music they grew up on,” Ritter says. “Their enthusiastic reaction has motivated us. The audience in Switzerland loves us because of our acoustic music, which is played honestly without any accessories. It creates an incredible amount of drive, as well as the calmness of gospel.”
The group produced a CD titled Traditional – Handmade in 2009 and released a live CD at the Albisgüetli Country Music Festival in 2016. They mostly perform covers and traditional songs, among them Rain Please Go Away, the old standard Lonesome Road Blues, Rank Stranger To Me from Albert E. Brumley, Walls of Time, courtesy of Bill Monroe and Peter Rowan, and Cold Sheets of Rain by Randall Hylton.
Ritter isn’t surprised that bluegrass possesses such international appeal. “We believe that many people are fascinated by the natural sound that can be played without technology, and which touches the heart,” he says. “It’s a pleasant contrast to a crazy world that’s full of technology and illusions. It goes back to the roots by being honest and down to earth.”
What began as an informal project in 2013 between vocalists Matthew Backes, Sheila Shukla, and various friends in their Highland Park, New Jersey neighborhood, quickly gelled into the assembly that’s now known as Magnolia Street String Band. Later joined by singer Nick Conte, Bobby Baxmeyer on mandolin, dobro and banjo, Ron Greenstein on bass, Gary Oleyar on fiddle, and co-producer Bob Harris on guitar, the band began playing a steady series of prominent gigs to a growing and increasingly appreciative audience only one year later. Having added festival stages, state fairs, weddings, parties, hootenannies, and honkytonks to their list of live performances, they continue to lean towards a traditional bluegrass sound that still allows room for personality and invention. They bask in three-part harmonies and place a priority on fluid fiddle, banjo and mandolin fills, as well as an approach that finds immediacy and engagement shared solidly in sync.
The band’s new album, By the Light of the Moon — a follow-up to their debut offering, 2019’s Wrong Side of the Rain — offers another example of that carefree combination. Ostensively conceived as a children’s album, it has all the essential elements needed to appeal to adults as well. Not surprisingly, the songs are centered on everyday life and the simple joys found through dreams and discovery. Shukla’s vocals provide an allure all their own, and on songs such as My Garden and the title track in particular, she shares a soothing sense of serendipity that’s gentle and comforting in equal degrees. So too, the rousing, rapid-fire delivery of Slowdown Rabbit and Car Transporter, the sheer charm of the track titled In Your Dreams, and an exceptionally joyful take on the classic, Oh! Susanna, allow for unabashed exuberance as well. There’s no shortage of expressive emotion and compelling instrumental interplay as well.
Given their limited resume, Magnolia Street Street String Band have made great strides courtesy of their initial output. Decidedly down-home and devoid of pretense, they are an ideal example of a roots-relevant style that’s as fresh and fulfilling as ever. One can only hope they continue to keep it coming.
Whether or not Sociograss actually lives up to the title of their current LP, Made It All Up, is a matter of conjecture, but one thing is certain — this Scottish band knows how to share some rousing revelry that’s well capable of lifting some spirits and even encouraging some folks to dance.
The band, which features Ben Errington (fiddle/vocals), Tim Leslie (guitar/banjo/vocals), Mark Hand (mandolin/vocals), Alex Riach (fiddle/vocals), Conal McIntosh (bass/vocals), and James Wright (banjo/vocals), more or less maintains that jolly, jocular attitude throughout, with songs such as Mousetrap Rag, Sucker, Dirty Business, and Henderson Street Breakdown setting up a merry mood, courtesy of their lively trappings and spirited singing. That’s not to say the band don’t take a respite. The reflective sounds of Merry Comedown and Made It All Up offer some mellower melodies and a calm, considered performance.
Ultimately, all six musicians work well in sync and provide perfect instrumental acumen through a combination of verve and versatility. Squirrely Riders offers but one obvious example. At nearly nine-minutes long, it shifts between sounds, first starting with a rapid-fire delivery that then shifts into a slower mid-tempo sequence, and eventually reemerges wholly reenergized as it races towards a frenzied and furious conclusion. The instrumental medley Red Prairie Dawn/Grey Owl offers further finesse, with fiddles setting the pace before mandolin and banjo join the fray in order to maintain the momentum.
Ultimately, Sociograss not only offer allegiance to their form, but also add a new dimension to that traditional tapestry as well. Their unabashed enthusiasm, clear talent and sheer tenacity show that they’re a band to be reckoned with, in addition to being ones to watch. From the Highlands of Scotland to the peaks of Appalachia, Sociograss provide a seamless transition that stays true to each of those origins. One thing is certain; when it comes to possessing skills and savvy, you can’t simply make it all up.
The UK duo known as the Carrivick Sisters excel at performing together in sync — little surprise considering the fact that they’re twins, and therefore naturally possess a sibling symmetry. Charlotte and Laura grew up making music together, and now, 18 years since first forming their band in 2006, they’ve perfected a natural, homespun style that simulates the lure of home and hearth, while drawing inspiration from a love of traditional American old-time and bluegrass music, along with the trappings of traditional folk.
“We would describe our sound as bluegrass adjacent, but definitely not pure bluegrass,” Charlotte says. “It’s quieter. Plus, I play clawhammer rather than three finger banjo. Although the music we love is American, we’re English, and to pretend otherwise would feel disingenuous. So there’s a little bit of influence from the English folk scene in there too.”
Between the two, the sisters play guitars, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and dobro. In addition to their own efforts, the pair have loaned their talents to various other outfits as well, including the twice IBMA Award-nominated band, Midnight Skyracer.
The twins currently call West Wiltshire home, and live a mere 20 minute drive from one other. However they grew up in South Devon.
“We listen to mostly bluegrass,” Charlotte continues. “Laura particularly loves the more traditional end of the scale with Flatt and Scruggs and The Nashville Bluegrass Band being her special favorites. She also loves country music, such as George Strait, and western swing, such as Bob Wills and Spade Cooley. I tend to lean towards slightly later bluegrass recordings and instrumental albums from the likes of David Grier, Matt Flinner, and Bryan Sutton, but I also love old time fiddle music and jazz, including Count Basie, Harry James, Louis Armstrong, and Joe Pass.”
Charlotte says the pair have toured mostly throughout the UK, although they do venture further afield when the opportunities permit.
“We’ve played a good chunk of the major folk festivals over here,” she adds. “Cambridge would be the best known. We’ve also done some great ones in Canada, the Vancouver Folk Festival and the Vancouver Island Festival among them. Plus, we even performed live on TV with Sir Tom Jones once! We’ve also been fortunate to share the stage with many of our musical heroes over the years when we were on the staff at Sore Fingers Summer Schools. More recently, I was fortunate enough to be invited to teach at Bryan Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp.”
On the other hand, it’s apparent they’ve been finding success wholly on their own.
“We’ve been doing this nearly 20 years now, and people keep coming back,” Charlotte says. “So I guess they like it!”
That appreciation is likely spawned, at least in part, by the fact that the Carrivicks have recorded some seven albums over the course of their career. “Our latest duo album, Illustrated Short Stories, came out a couple of years ago,” Charlotte says. “I’m releasing my first solo record this month. Laura plays on a few of the tracks, along with a brilliant house band of some of the UK’s best players. We’ve also put out lots of albums with other bands we’ve been part of, such as Midnight Skyracer and Cardboard Fox.”
Charlotte went on to explain that while the two play mostly originals, they also tap into traditional music to come up with source material. “We particularly enjoy finding old stories to inspire new songs,” she added.
Naturally then, the sisters express a natural affinity for bluegrass in particular.
“It’s just the most fun to play and listen to,” Charlotte insists. “It’s also a very sociable music, and can be made accessible to beginners, although the top level is so high that there’s always going to be more to learn and work on. The people who play it are, on the whole, really friendly and welcoming too.”
For more about the Carrivick Sisters, visit them online.
John Cowan’s been a busy man of late. In addition to his recent memoir, Hold On to a Dream, A Newgrass Odyssey, as well as the fact that he’s furthering his legacy he established with modern bluegrass pioneers New Grass Revival, and continues touring courtesy of his regular gig with The Doobie Brothers, he pursues a solo career with verve and versatility. In the process, he’s demonstrated why he’s among the most compelling and influential vocalists in bluegrass realms, and within the mainstream market in general. His new album from True Lonesome Records, somewhat surreptitiously title Fiction, provides added evidence of that fact, courtesy of a series of songs that are as accessible and compelling as anything in his canon. The songs are, true to form, consistently upbeat.
However that’s not always obvious if one delves into the underlying meaning and messaging that’s at the center of some of these songs. The title track centers around the tension and division found in politics and various other circles these days, as well as the difficulty in finding common ground when truth ought to be the essential element in any discussion.
“I have been a voracious reader my whole adult life. I was discussing with [True Lonesome label head] Eddie (Sanders) the problem of living in a world at this time, which is confounding, scary, and frustrating,” Cowan said in explaining the origin of the song. “My expansive bookcase is loaded with non-fiction books. I had just said to him that I can hardly stand to pick up these two new books I’d bought ’cause I didn’t feel like I needed any more affirmation about the state of our country and the world. What I needed was an escape to a place of commonality with the people I’ve encountered, and my loved ones. I think we did a good job on it and that’s all I know for now except I always believe in hope and grace.”
That alone is enough to explain the rousing refrains that highlight each of these entries, and indeed, on a driving remake of Paul McCartney’s hit, Coming Up (featuring a guest appearance by Bekka Bramlett) and the rambling yet winsome, Kingdom Come (which finds him singing, “I’m gonna keep my eye on the prize ’til it’s won”), an earnest interpretation of the old Hollies hit, Carousel, and the consistently carousing, Down Where the River Ends (featuring some robust fiddling from Tim Crouch), the exuberance and enthusiasm remain unabated.
Granted, the album has its more cautious and considered moments as well, such as the song, Georgia Rhythm, which laments the difficulties and despair that accompany a seemingly endless cycle of constant touring. There are also the sadder sentiments shared in the title track itself. Yet, the passion and perseverance that have been a keynote of Cowan’s career stay steadfast throughout. “I’ll follow my soul wherever it’s bound,” he insists on Gotta Go Now. So too, even while reflecting on his own mortality, and the inevitable fate that awaits us all in the song titled, I’m Just Not Ready, that uplifting attitude remains present and persistent.
With Cowan on bass and lead vocal, Crouch on fiddle, Scott Vestal on banjo, Cody Kilby on guitar, and Jonah Horton on mandolin, the music is flush with both resilience and resolve. It’s hardly an exaggeration to call Fiction one of Cowan’s best efforts yet.
