CD Releases

The Burning Bridges – Down This Old Road.

8 Oct, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

This is a new CD from a band called The Burning Bridges. The band features Pete Somerville on banjo, Fran Martin on tenor guitar and vocal, Pete Denahy on fiddle and some harmony vocal, Ian Tritt on mandolin, guitar and some harmony vocal, Mark Wardle on guitar, Rod Boothroyd on bass and Jeff Lang on resonator guitar.

This latest album called Down This Old Road sees a combination of traditional and modern bluegrass, old-time and folk styles, admirably highlighting the group’s musical diversity and skill.

The album kicks off with a very old traditional song called Hop High (My Lulu Girl). Peter Somerville takes the lead on vocals closely followed by Fran Martin on harmony. The track features Peter Denahy on fiddle. Other standout tracks on the album include The Louvin Brothers song You’re Running Wild. Pete and Fran have worked up a great two-part vocal in the style of the Louvin’s and some banjo chops and of course, Denahy’s tasteful fiddle set it off. Their version of Sunday Morning is also a stand out track, full of unexpected fills, back-up and beautiful harmony.

The album also features several traditional songs and two original instrumentals by Pete Somerville. Both originals sound like they have been around for years. The tune Yellow Dog gets the Somerville, Tritt and Denahy treatment on banjo, mandolin and fiddle. The sweet and soulful O’Leary’s Waltz was written and dedicated to one of Somerville’s fiddler mates Greg O’Leary:

..and i reckon it sounds just like a traditional Australian waltz – Pete Somerville.

Pete Somerville has an entrenched history in the Australian Bluegrass and Old-Time music scene. Those who know him will recall fondly his boyish photos on the Dust On The Bible album from his days with the Rank Strangers in the later 80’s. This was one of my first Aussie Bluegrass LP’s. Pete has come a long way musically since those early years and has made his mark in various bands over that time including Uncle Bill.

Pete Denahy is a comedian and bluegrass musician hailing from Yackandandah in Victoria. He is no stranger to bluegrass and has been a regular and quite popular feature at bluegrass festivals over the past few years. His contribution to this band and album with fiddle and vocals is remarkable.

Fran Martin is a relative newcomer to the performance arena; she has emerged with a commanding aural presence with her strong lead and vocal harmony. My early recollections of Fran are as a quiet and reserved picker at many a jam session and festival I have attended over the years. She and her partner Pete make a great vocal duo on this album.

Mark Wardle is a great asset to this album delivering solid rhythm guitar support to the band. Mark is perhaps best known in Victorian circles as a great and approachable music teacher particularly providing years of support for beginner banjo players, learning the craft.

Ian Tritt is unknown to me but here he delivers some of the smoothest mandolin picking I have heard in some time. His timing and musical empathy are amazing. Everything he plays on this album is supposed to be there; whether it’s fast and punchy or sweet and slow, he nails it.

Rock solid bass playing is one of the most understated expectations in bluegrass music. Rod Boothroyd delivers in full on this album. His rock solid timing glues this music together.

The album was recorded in Jeff Lang’s studio in Melbourne. Jeff also delivers an outstanding reso-guitar solo on the old blues number Mystery Train.

Shannon Slaughter – Never Standing Still

24 Sep, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Shannon Slaughter has announced That Old County Road has hit number one on the Bluegrass Today Top 20 weekly song chart. The song is the first single release from his upcoming album Never Standing Still due out on 27th October, 2017 on Elite Circuit Records.

That Old County Road was written by Shannon Slaughter and Rusty Hendrix, guitar player from the country band Confederate Railroad. In a recent Bluegrass Today interview, Slaughter said when they were writing the song, they were “thinking of a ’90s acoustic country which makes for a great mid-tempo, bluesy bluegrass number as well.”

Heather Slaughter and Randy Kohrs provide beautiful vocals on the track with Slaughter on guitar, Ron Inscore on mandolin, Cliff Bailey on bass, Ron Stewart on fiddle, Trevor Watson on banjo and Kohrs on resonator guitar.

Music fans can buy the single at iTunes, Amazon, CDBaby, ShannonSlaughter.com and more outlets. The song is available to radio programmers at AirPlayDirect or by request.

You can stay connected to Shannon Slaughter through:

Portraits in Fiddles – Mike Barnett

23 Sep, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Leading up to next month’s IBMA Awards, it’s fitting that fiddler, Mike Barnett is announcing a recording full of guest appearances, many IBMA winners among them, in the form of his new album, Portraits in Fiddles. According to Barnett, who’s worked steadily as a professional fiddler since his teens, this solo recording is intended as a commemoration of time spent with some of his heavy influences, as well as a challenge for himself.

Each one of these artists has a sound that is totally original and has created the path for them, created opportunities, a body of work, and a life that I’ve really respected. They inspired me to do something similar with my life – Mike Barnett.

Some of the compositions included were chosen to reflect pivotal moments in Barnett’s career. “Bobby Hicks taught me Fiddle Patch. That was one of the first staples in the canon of bluegrass that I learned. It was Bobby who recommended me for the gig with Jesse McReynolds which really started my career”.

Others represent a wish list that turned into the ultimate interactive mix tape. “Some of these are songs I’ve played with these players before in their bands, but others are a dream list of things I always wanted to play with them. “

Though he spent many years as part of his touring band, Barnett had never recorded with McReynolds who is featured twice on the album on the songs Dixie Hoedown and Okeechobee Wind. He had never recorded with David Grisman who is also featured twice on the album on Waiting for Vassar and the scorching Bow Wow.

The album features some lightning fast picking, but possibly the most interesting part is how Barnett harnesses the improvisational spirit into some carefully composed breaks for twin fiddles – a concept that itself was pioneered by another of the album’s featured artists, Buddy Spicher.

Barnett composed a fiddle break for Okeechobee Wind, one of McReynolds’ original songs. “I played this in every set with Jesse and in the official recording there’s some wild fiddle playing on it. I wanted to compose some parts for twin fiddles that capture the spirit of all the different ways it’s gone instead of achieving that through improvisation.”

He also composed breaks for Dixie Hoedown, Bow Wow, Fiddle Patch and Angel’s Waltz, but it’s the twin fiddle maneuvering on Tennessee Waltz that provides one of the album’s highlights. “Buddy has extraordinary skill. He can come up with 4-part harmony for fiddle that’s just incredible. I remember to this day meeting him at a fiddle camp and the harmony that he showed me.”

Another album standout is Fox Chase featuring banjo great, Tony Trischka. “This has always been one of my favourites of Tony’s. He really combines elements of bluegrass and old-time roots in a powerful way. This is such a wonderful cross-over tune that really lends itself to both genres.”

In a sense, the album reflects a moment of coming around full circle for Mike, a Tennessee native who made his way through first the Northeast, in the Boston roots music scene that has spawned so many of the genre’s superstars, and then through Austin and New York City, another hot bed of next generation roots music talent, but now finds himself once again headquartered in Nashville.

“I wanted to create something tangible, like a snapshot of some of the experiences that I’ve been so fortunate to have had in my career so far. It was wonderful to work again with Buddy, who was one of my first mentors.”

Interspersed with commentary from Grisman, Trischka, McReynolds, Hicks, and guitarist, Bryan Sutton,Portraits in Fiddles is a guided tour through the best in bluegrass from the unique perspective of someone who lived it from the inside through most of his life, as well as a conversation with his heroes, who speak for themselves musically and in their own words.

Portraits in Fiddles features Mike Bub, Michael Daves, Stuart Duncan, Casey Campbell, Chris Eldridge, Grant Gordy, David Grier, David Grisman, Sam Grisman, Alex Hargreaves, Bobby Hicks, Ethan Jodziewicz, Dominick Leslie, Rob McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Tim Mensy, Tim O’Brien, Jeff Picker, Noam Pikelny, Buddy Spicher, Bryan Sutton, Tony Trischka.

Mike Barnett is a first-class fiddle player and all-around musician. He’s got the chops and knows how to use them, but he also has something to say, and that’s a rare quality in music these days – David “Dawg” Grisman.

Portraits in Fiddles will be released October 13th, 2017 on Compass Records.

Track List for Portraits in Fiddles:

1. Old Barnes (feat. Stuart Duncan)
2. Mary and the Soldier (feat. Tim O’Brien)
3. Hangman’s Reel (feat. Bryan Sutton)
4. Mom and Dad’s Waltz (feat. Tim Mensy)
5. Waiting on Vassar (feat. David Grisman)
6. Bow Wow (feat. David Grisman)

7. Dixie Hoedown (feat. Jesse McReynolds)
8. Okeechobee Wind (feat. Jesse McReynolds)
9. Fiddle Patch (feat. Bobby Hicks)
10. Angel’s Waltz (feat. Bobby Hicks)
11. Fox Chase (feat. Tony Trischka & Michael Daves)
12. Tennessee Waltz (feat. Buddy Spicher)

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle – Time Won’t Wait

20 Sep, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle have hit the ground running since its first album in 2015. Their two previous Rural Rhythm Records albums have produced multiple hit #1 radio charted songs, including Leaving CrazyTown, Aim High, Not Now, and critically acclaimed album reviews.

Produced by Steve Gulley, Time Won’t Wait, to be released on 20th October, is the group’s third album and features the up-tempo hard drivin’ single Drowned In Sorrow written by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford. Gulley wrote or co-wrote 5 of the songs including the first single, and the title cut, Time Won’t Wait, which was co-written with his chief writing partner, Tim Stafford of Blue Highway. Other key songs include the poignant ballad, The Road Back To You, written by Grammy award winner, Carl Jackson and the straight-ahead, road song, I’m Alright, written by Jon Weisberger and Swedish musician / songwriter Christoffer Olsson. Gulley revisits his traditional country roots with his version of the Ronnie Milsap classic, I Can Almost See Houston From Here. Also included is an amazing break – neck paced instrumental, G-Force, written by New Pinnacle mandolin player Gary Robinson, Jr.

This is our third recording project as a band and I couldn’t be happier with the way it turned out. I think the songs complement each other perfectly and, in turn, show the diversity and maturity of the band itself. I feel this album shows how much we’ve grown as a group while still staying true to the things that help define our sound – emotion, drive and intensity. I can’t wait for everyone to hear this new collection of music – Steve Gulley.

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle include Steve Gulley on guitar and vocals, Bryan Turner on bass and vocals, Gary Robinson, Jr. on mandolin, Matthew Cruby on banjo and vocals and special guest Tim Crouch on fiddle.

Time Won’t Wait builds on the band’s heritage of strong roots in Bluegrass and Mountain Gospel music and at the same time provides a new and fresh sound that further accents the Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle signature sound.

Track List for Time Won’t Wait:

1. Drowned In Sorrow (Tim Stafford, Steve Gulley)
2. Time Won’t Wait (Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford)
3. You’ll Cry For Me (Steve Gulley)
4. The Road Back To You (Carl Jackson)
5 .I’m Alright (Christoffer Olsson, Jon Weisberger)
6. I Can Almost See Houston From Here (Ray Willis)

7. Congratulations Anyway (Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds)
8. You Can’t Help Who You Love (Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford)
9 .Leaving Sounds Pretty Good To Me (Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford)
10. G – Force (Gary Robinson, Jr.)
11. Safe In His Arms (Gene Johnson, Val Johnson)
12. Hold Your Horses (Carl Jackson, Pam Gadd)

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle are currently on tour. For more information go to Stevegulley.com.
TIME WON’T WAIT is exclusively distributed by the Orchard and will be available on iTunes, Amazon and where ever Bluegrass music is sold. D.J.’s can download the album on AirPlay Direct.

About Steve Gulley:

The Gulley family name enjoys a rich musical heritage that reaches across generations with strong roots in Bluegrass and Mountain Gospel music. It starts with long time radio personality Don Gulley who was a founding member of the Bluegrass group the Pinnacle Mountain Boys. Don’s son, Steve Gulley, has carried on the family tradition performing for many years with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, as a founding member of Bluegrass super groups Mountain Heart and Grasstowne, as a regular featured performer at Renfro Valley and with Steve’s longtime friend and colleague Dale Ann Bradley.

Rural Rhythm Records and Steve Gulley have enjoyed a long and successful friendship and business relationship for many years yielding three Steve Gulley solo albums and eight Steve Gulley artist produced albums since 2010 beginning with the release of Dogwood Winter by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford.

Over the past seven years this successful partnership has enjoyed many hit singles from a variety of exciting album projects including two Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle albums Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle and Aim High; Steve Gulley solo gospel album Family, Friends and Fellowship.

Browngrass and Smoky Wind

20 Sep, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Bluegrass has its musical roots in the Appalachian mountains of the USA. In October of 2000 Joe McKernan and his family moved from the Appalachians of SW Pennsylvania all the way to Elsmore, NSW, bringing their fiddle, harmonicas, banjo and guitars with them.

The family has spent some 17 years in the Australian bush they are now beginning to write original songs about what they have found here. If Yanks can sing about country life and call it ‘Bluegrass’, why not pluck out some songs about Australia and call it Browngrass?

Smoky Wind is their first release – it’s about the smell of spring when the bush fires are burning.

For more about “Browngrass”, here’s an article by Joe McKernan from their website.

Grascals New Album Before Breakfast Released

3 Sep, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Grascals’ newest album, Before Breakfast is now available.

This album is heating up the charts and lighting a media fire. Fans can buy the Mountain Home Music Company offering from a variety of online offerings while radio presenters can access the new music via AirPlay Direct.

The Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Bluegrass Album Chart shows tha Before Breakfast holding the #6 slot, while their hot-as-fire new single, Sleepin’ With The Reaper jumps to #10 on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Chart.

Theis album release finds the award-winning Bluegrassers at a career high point vocally and musically, and reviewers are hailing the band’s energy, focus and distinctive sound. Roots Music Report calls the album “all-around superb,” while Nuts About Country notes the disc is “vibrant … an absolutely delightful breath of fresh air.” Midwest Record Recap dubs the project “killer stuff” and adds that it’s “sure to make new Bluegrass fans,” and Country Music People’s David Allan declares the project has “twelve exhilarating tracks.” Additional reviews can be found in Terre Haute Tribune Star, Bluegrass Notes, Exclaim!, Digital Journal, Roughstock, Music Matters Magazine and Stacy’s Music Row Report.

The group features founders Terry Eldredge on lead vocals and guitar, Terry Smith on lead vocals, bass and Danny Roberts on mandolin, Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Adam Haynes on fiddle and John Bryan on lead vocals and guitar.

More on the The Grascals:

Timely yet timeless, The Grascals deliver cutting-edge Bluegrass that is entirely relevant to the here and now, yet grounded in a deep knowledge of, and admiration for, the work of the music’s founding fathers. It’s a unique sound that has earned the group three Grammy nominations and two Entertainer of the Year awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as a level of national media attention that seems to perpetually elude acts from various niche genres.

High-profile television appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Fox & Friends, The Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and CBS’ The

Talk. The bastions of Country and Bluegrass continue to welcome them, as evidenced by 150-plus performances on the Grand Ole Opry. Additional honours include President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Ball at the Smithsonian and two performances for President George W. Bush.

The Grascals Online Access:

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers – The Story We Tell.

20 Aug, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

One of the busiest bands in bluegrass, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers have consistently delivered chart-topping and crowd-pleasing music, as evidenced by multiple IBMA awards and Grand Ole Opry appearances on their resume.

Rebel Records has just announced the release of the award-winning band’s sixth recording in seven years, The Story We Tell (REB-1869). This new album brings together a vibrant collection of songs new and old, celebrating the band’s respect for the past while always maintaining a fresh approach.

We gathered a very diverse set of songs, heavy on new material from great writers, allowing us to tell several types of stories—tales of fun, family, fiddlers, faith, felons and one funeral… real bluegrass – Joe Mullins.

Joe Mullins features with bluegrass veterans Jason Barie on fiddle, Randy Barnes on bass, Duane Sparks on guitar and Mike Terry on mandolin. The Story We Tell features the band’s most inventive and innovative arrangements to date, both vocally and instrumentally on 12 tracks. The album’s opening number and first single, Long Gone Out West Blues takes listeners on a trip on horseback through the Wild West. This high-energy song—which has maintained a strong presence on Bluegrass Today’s Top 20 Songs Chart for four consecutive weeks now – came to JMRR via Canadian folk duo, Pharis & Jason Romero. “The uniquely styled lyrics and the melody made it a natural for us, and the challenge of a song with no chorus is something I love,” says Mullins.

The Story We Tell is chock full of original songs from some of today’s top songwriters. One of the final compositions from the late Gerald Evans Jr. is a celebration of what makes our favorite songs so meaningful; Songs That’ll Get ‘Em touches on such themes as the warmth of home, the comfort of a mother and the preciousness of true love. Nashville stalwart Larry Cordle penned the rollicking If I’d Have Wrote That Song, an ironic connection, considering that so many have wondered the same thought after hearing Cordle’s hits for Ricky Skaggs, Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson & George Strait, among others. In the Short Rows Now from Raleigh Satterwhite hearkens to the days of calloused hands and blistering heat, the hard work invested in the fields and in life and the determination making it through some way, somehow. Jerry Salley, who penned last year’s award-winning Radio Ramblers hit All Dressed Up, and Ronnie Bowman contributed the album’s lone gospel selection, When God’s in It, a powerful ode to Philippians 4:13 — “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Mullins and company also dug deep into the well of roots music on this new album. From a lonesome brother duet from the Delmore Brothers The Last Old Shovel, a heartfelt country ballad borrowed from Merle Haggard’s historic Mama Tried album I Could Have Gone Right, and a soaring vocal number the band learned from The Browns “Would You Care, The Radio Ramblers showcase variety and virtuosity on The Story We Tell.

With an approach to the music that rings with authenticity, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers secure a rightful place among the traditional guard of bluegrass while standing comfortably shoulder to shoulder with more progressive-type artists who find themselves drawn, not only to this music, but also to their down-home, likeable nature.

Joe and his superb band with its diverse strengths and multiple lead vocalists have patiently carved out a special place in the national scene. They’ve won some awards that you can look up, though fewer than they deserve and fewer than they will over time. What matters more is that Joe’s steady contributions and excellent performances are accumulating, year in and out – Craig Havighurst, liner notes to The Story We Tell.

The Story We Tell is available at County Sales, iTunes, Amazon or wherever fine bluegrass music is sold.

Track List:

1. Long Gone Out West Blues
2. The Last Old Shovel
3. Songs That Will Get ‘Em
4. I Could Have Gone Right

5. If I’d Have Wrote That Song
6. Neighbors
7. I Heard That Train
8. In the Short Rows Now

9. I’m Nowhere Bound
10. Would You Care
11. The Fiddle Man’s Delight
12. When God’s in It

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle – Drowned In Sorrow

18 Aug, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Rural Rhythm Records has announced the release of Drowned In Sorrow the new single from Steve Gulley And New Pinnacle. Written by Steve Gulley and Tim Stafford, Drowned In Sorrow is the first single from the groups upcoming third Rural Rhythm Records album titled Time Won’t Wait scheduled for release in October.

During one of our writing sessions, my buddy, Tim Stafford, and I were going through song ideas and subject matter, as is usually the case. Tim had the title, Drowned In Sorrow, written in his notes and it instantly stuck. Before we even wrote any of the initial lyrics, we agreed that the hook line felt like a straight ahead bluegrass tune. The finished product came together just as we heard in the beginning. I think it’s a classic, up-tempo, traditional sounding song with an awesome intensity all its own. It’s going to be one that’s a lot of fun to play and sing every night – Steve Gulley.

Produced by Steve Gulley, Drowned In Sorrow contains performances by group members, Steve Gulley on lead vocal, Guitar, Bryan Tuner on harmony vocal and bass, Gary Robinson, Jr. on mandolin and Matthew Cruby on harmony vocal and banjo with special guest Tim Crouch on fiddle.

The up-tempo and hard-drivin’ Drowned In Sorrow has the same signature sound and feel as the lead singles from Steve Gulley And New Pinnacles previous albums both containing #1 singles, Leaving CrazyTown and Aim High, on the Bluegrass Today Weekly Airplay Chart.

Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle are currently on tour. For more information go to Steve Gully’s Website. The single is available for DJ downloads on AirPlay Direct.

About Steve Gully:

The Gulley family name enjoys a rich musical heritage that reaches across generations with strong roots in Bluegrass and Mountain Gospel music. It starts with long time radio personality n’s son, Steve Gulley, has carried on the family tradition performing for many years with Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, as a founding member of Bluegrass super groups Mountain Heart and Grasstowne, as a regular featured performer at Renfro Valley and with Steve’s longtime friend and colleague Dale Ann Bradley.

Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle includes; Steve Gulley on guitar and vocals, Bryan Turner on bass and vocals, Gary Robinson, Jr. on mandolin and Matthew Cruby on banjo and vocals. Steve Gulley certainly does not need any introduction to the Bluegrass community with accomplishments that include 16 years as a featured performer, staff musician, music director, studio manager and producer at Renfro Valley, KY. From 1994-96 Steve was a member of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and a founding member of Mountain Heart (’98 – ’06), Grasstowne (’06 – ’11) and with longtime friend Dale Ann Bradley through 2014. Steve is a winner of 4 IBMA Awards including Co-writer of the 2008 Song Of The Year, “Through The Window Of A Train”, by Blue Highway and SPBGMA Multi award winner including 2008 Album Of The Year, “The Road Headin’ Home”, by Grasstowne.

Over the past seven years this successful partnership has enjoyed many hit singles from a variety of exciting album projects including two Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle albums “Steve Gulley and New Pinnacle” and “Aim High”; Steve Gulley solo gospel album “Family, Friends and Fellowship” and an impressive list of artist produced albums including Claybank “Playing Hard To Forget”; Stuart Wyrick – “East Tennessee Sunrise”; Brand New Strings – “No Strings Attached”; Locust Ridge – “Healed”; Dave Atkins and Republik Steele – “That’s Just The Way I Roll”, Carrie Hassler – “The Distance”; Cumberland River – “The Life We Live”; Crosspoint – “We’re Gonna Rise” and the gospel hit single “Dancing With Daddy” by Debby Gulley. In addition to the artist produced albums Steve Gulley produced two special album projects including the critically acclaimed Civil War themed album “God Didn’t Choose Sides” and the TV Holiday Special “Christmas The Mountain Way” that aired on RFD-TV’s Family.net and BlueHighwaysTV networks also available on DVD / CD.

Donna Ulisse – Breakin’ Easy

11 Aug, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The reigning IBMA Songwriter of the Year, Donna Ulisse is set to release the first project through her new label Mountain Home Music.

Breakin’ Easy is set for release on September 22nd. The album was produced by Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member, Doyle Lawson, also with Mountain Home Music.

Breakin’ Easy is replete with the skillful songwriting that has garnered so many honours for Ulisse, including the 2016 IBMA Songwriter of the Year Award. Every song is delivered with perfect emotion by her distinctive voice. The title comes from a song lyric, but is also an intentional nod to this new phase of Donna’s career.

Breakin’ Easy represents a gentle shift in a new direction. With a new label and team, and with the amazing in-studio collaboration with Doyle, I feel free to take a fresh look at my music and career. Working in the studio with Doyle is a dream, plain and simple. With his command of absolute perfection in instrumentation and arranging, I felt refreshingly free. I can give my attention to lyrics in a meaningful new way – Donna Ulisse.

Ulisse brings a blend of traditional and contemporary bluegrass, gospel and country flavours to everything she records and performs. With a voice that is rich, warm and commanding, she has a well-deserved reputation for bringing a song home with both style and musical integrity. On this new album, Donna indeed makes a shift, almost imperceptible, but with the clear new vision of an artist free to focus on her artistry.

Producing Donna’s CD was a pure joy. She came to the studio well prepared and with a willingness to take direction. The beautiful thing is that she needs very little directing. Donna is a dynamic vocalist with what I call ‘that sparkle’ one listens for, and it matches her personality perfectly – Doyle Lawson.

The many facets of Donna’s dynamic voice are showcased brilliantly on Breakin’ Easy, along with the rock solid writing that is a hallmark of Ulisse’s career. Opening with the hopeful Without Trouble Please and closing with the up-tempo We’ve Got The Love Thing Figured Out, the new CD weaves loneliness into optimism, and heartbreak into exuberance. A Little Past Lonely has both the pain of lost love and an optimistic outlook, while We Are Strong celebrates an unwavering love. Her vocals shine on a cover of Here Comes My Baby Back Again, which is sure to become a fan favourite. Other tunes carry the listener through self-reflection, memories, happiness and exhilaration; all wrapped up in musical precision.

At the Crossroads studio, I have always worked with ace engineer, Van Atkins. Our goal is to have a relaxed, no-pressure atmosphere. My theory on producing is to let the artist be themselves with a little guidance, when needed – Doyle Lawson.

The resulting Breakin’ Easy clearly reflects the experience and ease shared by seasoned professionals in the studio.

Fans worldwide will be able to enjoy a very special CD release event when Donna hosts a live streaming mini-concert on Tuesday, September 19th. Details will be available at www.donnaulisse.com and through Donna’s social media sites.

Whether singing her own songs or those written by others, award-winning Donna Ulisse continues to make her mark as a uniquely gifted artist. She has incorporated a wide range of influences into a style and sound that is distinctively Donna. With the release of Breakin’ Easy, Donna is poised for the next facet of her already shining career as a recording artist, songwriter and performer.

Breakin’ Easy Track Listing:

1. Without Trouble Please
2. Back Home Feelin’ Again
3.Drive This Cold Out Of me
4. A Little Past Lonely
5. Made For Each Other

6. Here Comes My Baby Back Again
7. We Are Strong
8. Til I Fin’lly Let Go
9. I’m In A Hurry To Go Nowhere

10. Whatever Winter Brings
11. Where My Mind Can Get Some Rest
12. We’ve Got This Love Thing Figured Out

Flatt Lonesome – Silence in These Walls.

1 Aug, 17 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

From the moment of their brilliant self-titled debut in 2013, it’s been clear that Flatt Lonesome is, as the title of its 3rd album, A Runaway Train. Multiple IBMA, SPBGMA and Dove nominations and awards, top charting songs, Billboard charting albums, countless media appearances, including the Grand Ole Opry and a demanding tour schedule all combine in testimony to the phenomenon that is Flatt Lonesome.

In the wake of three top IBMA honours in 2016, (Vocal Group, Song, and Album of the Year), and now, multiple nominations for the 2017 awards, (Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year), you might wonder, where do they go from here?

Flatt Lonesome has emerged from the studio with Silence In These Walls, a new album that answers the above question unequivocally. This band of six brilliant musicians knows exactly where to go: to a well of emotion, to expressive vocal and instrumental performances, to increasingly sophisticated songwriting, and to inventive arrangements.

Silence In These Walls (Mountain Home Music Company 9.29.17) is an expression of Flatt Lonesome’s appreciation for musical tradition. With an ever-increasing emphasis on original material, the group honours Country and Bluegrass recording styles with a powerful sense of musical exploration. Melancholy themes of heartbreak, the harshness of life’s lessons, glowing moments of faith and love requited; all spring vividly from this innovative collection.

Much of the album is contemplative, almost brooding. In tone and theme, it is startlingly evocative and sophisticated. Songs like All My Life, Where Do You Go? and Cry Oh Cry contemplate topics like anxiety, questioning seasons in life, and making bittersweet choices of the heart. The tender hope of contentment and the acknowledgment of things that truly matter are explored in Happy ‘Till He Comes and Draw Me Near. Penned by Kelsi and Paul Harrigill, Falling is a sweet respite; an easygoing love song that invites a moment of calm amid life’s turmoil.

In a nod to the musical traditions they hold dear, and almost in summary of the varied emotional themes, the band includes Where Do You Go, a thoughtful song that first appeared on Country icon Glen Campbell’s 1970 album, Try A Little Kindness. Charli takes the vocal lead, and those distinctive familial harmonies bring it poignantly home.

With a clear sense of direction, these young artists keep raising the bar on their own creative game. Flatt Lonesome owns this material through the commanding individual and collective performances of Charli Robertson, Buddy Robertson, Kelsi and Paul Harrigill, Dominic Illingworth and Michael Stockton.

Silence In These Walls will surely make a resounding impression when the project is released during World of Bluegrass 2017, with the album is set for release on 29th September.

Silence in These Walls Track Listing:

1. All My Life (Paul Harrigill, Tim Stafford)
2. It’s Just Sad (Wyatt McCubbin, Jason Hursey)
3. Build Me A Bridge (James C. Chamberlain, Wade Kirby, Wyatt McCubbin)
4. I’m Not Afraid to Be Alone (Paul Harrigill)

5. Cry Oh Cry (Paul Harrigill, Kelsi Harrigill)
6. Draw Me Near (Kelsi Harrigill)
7. Where Do You Go (Ed Penney Jr., John Dounard)
8. Highway of Pain (Glenn Russel Daughin)

9. Gently Please Tell Me Goodbye (Paul Harrigill)
10. Happy ‘Til He Comes (Kelsi Harrigill)
11. Falling (Paul Harrigill, Kelsi Harrigill)
12. You’re the Reason (Terry Fell, Mildred Imes, Fred Henley, Roberts Moncrief, Bobby Edwards)