Review

The Burning Bridges – Down This Old Road.

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.

Vickie Vaughn Band

8 Jul, 15 by Greg McGrath

It is not easy to create a place for yourself in the world of bluegrass music as a new and emerging band. However the Vickie Vaughn Band has managed forge a name for themselves touring the USA, while also securing a nomination for an IBMA Momentum award for Band of the Year in 2014.

The band comprises five young musicians – young enough to bring the average age of bluegrass musicians globally down a few years – all of whom excel at their music.

Band leader and bass player Vickie Vaughn has a warm mature voice that forces you to pause and listen. Clearly in control, she has been singing for many years. Indeed at the age of 9, she was hired as a background vocalist at the Kentucky Opry in Draffenville. Check her vocals on the video below – “Working on a Building”.

Justin Hiltner’s banjo playing sets this band apart with his slick tributes to Scruggs and Reno styles that have influenced his own stlye. Jon Weisberger, International Bluegrass Music Association Chairman of the Board – 2012 says it best when he says: “…Justin Hiltner shows there’s more to an arch-top banjo than the Ralph Stanley sound”.

Maggie Estes on fiddle shows where bluegrass music is headed in the future. She has deft touch adding nuance and definition as needed to the bands arrangements.

Casey Campbell on mandolin finds no trouble complementing the ensemble with his musical creativity drawn from his years of exposure to traditional bluegrass mandolin. He was raised with the sounds of Bluegrass; his first steps were taken backstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Bill Monroe’s dressing room.

On guitar is Zach White who was trained classically in cello, piano, and voice before picking up the guitar in high school. He cites inspiration from Johnny Cash, Chet Atkins, Nickel Creek, and others. His guitar playing is solid and sensitive and note perfect.

Their new album (EP) is a mix of moving self penned ballads, traditional country songs and original driving instrumentals. This is a band of talent – Vickie Vaughn Band.

Mid North – Tales From a Mountain

4 Feb, 15 by Greg McGrath

Scott Collins is one of Australia’s very few songwriters contributing to the ongoing collection of original Australian bluegrass music. Scott’s previous album was called You Were Right About the Stars. This new album is called Tales From a Mountain.

Songwriting can be a challenge for some. Writing words for a song can require one to search deeply into feelings, values and beliefs to deliver one’s message. Indeed the challenge is often one of having to bare the soul to deliver heartfelt beliefs and stirring messages from, sometimes, tender personal experiences. Scott Collins has opened his heart on this album.

The music on Tales From a Mountain ranges from heart-wrenching blues, and haunting old-timey ballads to lively bluegrass instrumentals. His music underpins some great song writing and open-hearted confessions to the listener.

The album features Scott Collins on guitar and vocal, John Woolhouse on mandolin and fiddle, Bill Faulkner on banjo and Will Pregnell on bass. Adding to the vocal work is Cath Cooper and Josh MacKenzie.

Additionally we hear Kat Mear and Sammy Lind on fiddle, Hamish Davidson and Jenny Shimmin on banjo, Jamie Sampson on bass, Paddy Montgomery and Caleb Klauder on mandolin with Josh MacKenzie on backing vocals.

Corn Liquor is the opening track on the album and sets a great pace with Hamish Davidson’s hard-driving banjo and Cath Cooper’s supportive harmonies. Overall Cath does a fine job in supporting the vocals with her pure clear harmonies.

One of my favourites on the album is No Return. It tells the tale of a cowardly retreat of a gambler, philanderer and wonton cheat who is heading down the road of no return, leaving a letter of some regret and to be read by his abandoned woman. A mournful ballad, haunting in melody and lyric and executed with style by Mid North’s band leader Scott Collins.

In short, this album is full of fine song writing delivered in a blend of complimenting musical styles and instrumentation with deft performances by a host of Aussie musicians delivered through a fine production effort from NoiseLab Studios. Congratulations Scott on another great album.

Inness Campbell – Click To Like

23 Jul, 13 by Hamish Davidson

Don’t be fooled by the tacky appearance of Innes Campbell’s latest album. Click To Like offers a wide range of musical styles. From rich acoustic textures found in Lost and Found and Two’s Company, to the high-energy ska-grassy punk of Oh Jimmy. Innes’ vocals really shine on the more folky material such as Phantom Power and Only This.

Innes’ voice has a real innocent and lyrical quality, despite his habit of throwing in the odd controversial lyric. Brown kicks off sounding like Bill Monroe has been resurrected from the dead, but then we are given an insight into Innes’ wonderfully curious mind.

Innes clearly has strong roots in bluegrass but is not afraid of traditionalists and the use of modern effects. Cruel Freak is probably the bravest and most enjoyable example of this. Above the Law is another intriguing experiment combining skilful mandolin playing with creative electronic samples. It was so fascinating I had to go back and have another listen.

The last two offerings almost summarise the album. Pig Dog Man is a roaring, percussive bluegrass track, whereas Nothing Left To Say, with its electronic and pop elements, is a step into outer space by comparison.

Buy this album if you are curious to hear a talented individual perform an exquisite exploration of the boundaries of acoustic music. I was tempted to open a second Facebook account so I can ‘click to like’ it twice.
Review by Hamish Davidson, 22 June 2013

Click to Like – Innes Campbell

23 Jul, 13 by Ewan MacKenzie

For those who aren’t familiar with the name, Innes is a Scot in our midst whom I believe to be one of the foremost acoustic guitarists in Australia. He has been National Bluegrass Flatpicking Champion, but his lines contain nuances that reach beyond the confines of that genre. His skill as a mandolinist and slide Dobro player are also on ample display here.

Innes is keeping his own company these days. He plays every instrument on this CD, as well as investing considerable time and effort into building an electronic soundscape for most of the songs.

It’s an interesting and sometimes challenging experiment, and I feel that this is the first step in a journey that will reap rewards for the traveller who goes the distance. Words like fascinating, compelling and diverse spring to mind.

The tracks move from straight bluegrass with some sampled backing through moving and quite beautiful melodic and intimate songs to some electronica pieces that would not be out-of-place in a dance club. I’m not an expert on what is done in a studio with computers these days so I won’t attempt to explain what’s going on here, but the effect is at times mesmerizing.

The lyrics cover a wide range of topics and are not immediately accessible, but once digested they keep ticking over in your mind. When I woke up with the lyrics to Cruel Freak (a song about Julian Assange) in my head, I knew I was ready to write this review.

Cruel Freak is a well constructed song with, for me, controversial words juxtaposed against some unsettling electronic vocal effects and lush backing.

Oh Jimmy contains some fine playing in the bluegrass style, while the lyrics are again disquieting.

The doleful atmosphere of Two’s Company – “Two’s Company, so come on over the hill with me” – about two baby boomers fading into the sunset together – is eased by the intimacy and sentiment of Only This, perhaps the only song of a personal nature on the album, featuring a fine vocal arrangement.

Oh, and the short Lost and Found is a fine instrumental piece.

For those who know Innes as the bluegrass virtuoso that he is, be aware that while that’s found all over this album, Innes’s muse has led him into fresh and innovative directions.

I’m keen to hear the next instalment, but meanwhile I’m singing this in the shower.

Hunter & Suzy Owens – Heartsongs

5 Jan, 13 by Greg McGrath

Heartsongs is a collection of songs written by Hunter and Suzy Owens from Sydney. I first listened to this album without reading any of the liner notes and was struck by the authenticity of the lyrics and quality of melody. I had to check the notes to see who had written these wonderful sounding old-time songs only to discover that Hunter and Suzy had written them all.

This is a wonderful album of great old-time music featuring several moving country ballads and some fast paced bluegrass picking written by two great story tellers.

The CD was produced by Hunter and Suzy Owens, engineered by Gary Brown and created in Australia. It was originally released in 2010 and features guest artists, Nigel Lever on mandolin and harmony vocals; Dave Helens on banjo; Kat Mear on fiddle and Gary Brown on Dobro with Hunter Owens on guitar and lead vocals and Suzy Owens on bass and harmony vocals.

If you have not had the pleasure to hear or see Hunter and Suzy Owens, then here’s an opportunity to her some wonderful music weaved into some great story telling from their album Heartsongs.

Track List:

1. Heartache Blues
2. My Valley Home
3. Ellie Mae
4. Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t
5. The Hills Of Old Virginia
6. Golden Dreams
7. Nelson County Flood
8. True Love Is Like Gold

9. Could It Be Your Heart
10. Cottonmouth Creek
11.Faded Photograph
12. Don’t Go Away
13. Leave Me To Pine
14. The Gun And The Bible
15. All Bound For Glory
16. Ruby’s Farewell

Monroe Crossing – The Happy Holidays

21 Dec, 12 by Joe Ross

From Minnesota, Monroe Crossing is a fine bluegrass band that has an adventurous and creative approach to acoustic music. The Happy Holidays is a delightful album which celebrates the spirit of sharing seasonal music and joy. Their 15 songs in the set include an eclectic mixture of traditional, contemporary, and original material. Every holiday album should have some Christmas carols with new, fresh arrangements. Monroe Crossing doesn’t disappoint us in this regard. To truly emphasize their innovative individualism, Monroe Crossing wisely wrote a couple very special holiday songs for this album, “The Happy Holidays” and “Heed His Father’s Call.” This CD is a pleasant collection of musical jolliness and merriment that everyone will certainly enjoy.

Rick Lang & Friends – The Season of My Heart

20 Dec, 12 by Greg McGrath

Rick Lang has a long-standing love of the winter-season. He lives in New Hampshire, a state where dreaming of a white Christmas is often a reality. The Season of My Heart, a project with thirteen originals written or co-written by Lang, celebrates the traditions, excitement and magic of winter. His inspiration stems from such images as the baby Jesus asleep in His mother’s arms, the Christmas tree, an evening sleigh ride, the falling snow, the star of the east, and the sound of angelic voices. An 8-page CD insert includes all lyrics. The album’s instrumentation is acoustic with primarily guitar, bass, mandolin, Dobro and piano. Rick Lang is an excellent songwriter, and you can hear his material on records from several well-known bluegrass groups. His release celebrating winter is one that is comfortably warm and would make a good companion to a crackling fire and a glass of eggnog. Each sparkling, happy song is like a musical holiday card that brightens the day.

The Roys New Day Dawning Review

15 Oct, 12 by Greg McGrath

The Roys new album New Day Dawning was released this month and has some outstanding offerings from this award winning family duo. Given the wealth of popularity of their last album, Lonesome Whistle, it was with some degree of anticipation that I opened the album and started it playing. Could they pull off another great album?

There is no disappointment in this album. The Roys are are songwriters, musicians and singers of the highest calibre. Their voices blend perfectly as one would expect from family vocals. The album contains seven tracks, all of which are hits with me. The group has an amazing appeal vocally, musically and with some fantastic musical moments.

The opening track New Day Dawning has all of the hallmarks of a hit song with a complimentary banjo, fiddle and mandolin accompaniment with a lyric providing a roadmap through those dark times that we have all faced.

The second track on the album, Daddy To Me, is a beautiful ballad from the pen of Lee Roy and Brandon Rickman (Lonesome River Band) is followed by the band’s recent single release Still Standing with a hard driving banjo underpinning the band’s signature sound of Elaine Roy’s vocal.

This album contains a host of songs espousing The Roy’s values, reflecting on memories and is a celebration of family. With their wonderful harmonies and impeccable musicianship, The Roys are re-defining the sound of modern bluegrass creating that perfect marriage of country music and bluegrass tradition.

Track List:

New Day Dawning (Lee Roy, Elaine Roy, Steve Dean)
Daddy To Me (Lee Roy, Brandon Rickman)
Still Standing (Lee Roy, Elaine Roy)
Windin’ Roads (Lee Roy, Mark Houser, Jay Brunswick)
Grandpa’s Barn – (Lee Roy, Larry Alderman)
Living Scrapbook (Elaine Roy, Steve Dean)
Fast As We Roll (Lee Roy, Brian White, Jenee Fleenor)

Punch Brothers with Packwood Review

16 Aug, 12 by Gareth Evans

To say I was looking forward to this show is an understatement. The excitement I’d built up for myself from the moment I knew the Punch Brothers were coming to Australia right through to being about the 6th or 7th person in line as The Basement opened its doors on this “Big Time” Wednesday night was palpable. The show was either going to fulfill every single one of my heightened expectations or was going to be the biggest disappointment of the year because I’d built it up so much. The fact this was the first time the Punch Brothers had visited our shores only contributed to my excitement and by the time the music eventually started, a good two hours after I’d entered the venue (to allow for food service) I was teetering on the edge of becoming a quivering mess.

Supporting the Punch Brothers in Sydney were Timber and Steel favourites Packwood. On this night Bayden (Packwood singer, songwriter and banjo player) was joined by a string quartet and flautist and due to the late start managed to play to a capacity crowd – all of which gave Packwood their undivided attention. The band worked their way through much of their current EP – including “Longyearbyen”, “Charlotte”, “Bats” and their cover of the “Game of Thrones Theme”. Bayden seemed a little nervous by the size of the crowd – not to mention having his parents in the front row – but his music was sublime as always. Sadly Packwood were rushed off stage before being able to finish properly but they had definitely kicked off the night in just the way the crowd wanted.

It’s difficult to be discreet entering a stage carrying a double bass so the whooping and cheering began log before the crowd glimpsed Paul Kowert leading the band in from the wings. As the bass player took his up his position at the back of the stage, the rest of the band found their mics and we were away. “Movement and Location” was followed by “Who’s Feeling Young Now” and I knew at that moment I was not going to be disappointed.

An unshaven, slightly disheveled, swaggering Chris Thile, mandolin player and lead singer for the Punch Brothers ran the proceedings for the night, back announcing songs, bantering with the crowd and oozing the kind of charisma normally reserved for the likes of Mick Jagger. This was not sing-around-a-microphone bluegrass – this was bluegrass played with a rock and roll attitude and Thile was our rock star.

There are three types of songs performed by Punch Brothers – the indie-folk of tracks such as “Clara” and “New York City”, the straight up bluegrass and traditional style tunes, and the indie-rock covers. Of the latter we were treated to Punch Brothers versions of songs from The Strokes (a rival New York bluegrass band), Beck and Radiohead – and what I liked most about them was that rather than turning them into bluegrass numbers the Punch Brothers played them straight, recreating the original songs using bluegrass instruments. If you check out their cover of “Kid A” from Who’s Felling Young Now you’ll know exactly what I mean.

While Thile and banjo player Noam Pikelny are often called out as masters of their respective instruments (and with good reason) I feel it’s important to mention just how impressed I was with the musicianship of every member of the band. Gabe Witcher’s fiddle playing was astounding, the seemingly reserved Chris Eldridge tore up the stage with his guitar, the aforementioned Paul Kowert dragged the double bass out of the rhythm section showing his impressive skills both with and without the bow, Chris Thile’s mandolin skills were beyond words and of course Pikelny brought the whole thing together with his banjo, seemingly without breaking a sweat.

The smile on my face as I watch the first ever Sydney Punch Brothers show could well have been the biggest in the room. While I enjoyed every single song it was the more traditional-sounding numbers which excited me the most – when the band finished their set with “Rye Whiskey” (before returning for an encore) I was on my feet shouting “Oh Boy!” along with them every step of the way.

Were my expectations met? Friend, they were blown out of the water.