Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular Review

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(More customer reviews)I have enjoyed the music of Tony Trischka for more than twenty-five years and managed to see him perform twice with Skyline in the mid-Eighties. This latest release features an all-star cast (Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile) along with like-minded banjo players who share the spotlight on each track. Whether the banjo players are traditionalists (Earl Scruggs, Bill Emerson) or more contemporary stylists (Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Scott Vestal), this release is a banjo picker's delight.
Here's a rundown of the guest banjo players on each track:
1. "Farewell Blues" - Features legendary performer Earl Scruggs (who just turned 83 this month!).
2. "Bon Aqua Blues" - A Trischka original featuring Rhonda Vincent's banjo player Kenny Ingram.
3. "Fox on the Run" - One of only three vocals, featuring Tom Adams, who spent several years with the Johnson Mountain Boys.
4. "Twilight Kingdom" - Another original, featuring Bela Fleck, who also co-produced the album with Trischka. At 8:34, it is by far the longest track on the album. Unlike most of the tracks, which fall into a definite bluegrass vein, this displays their newgrass style.
5. "Run Mountain" - Features young banjo phenom Noam Pikelny, a former student of both Fleck and Mark Vann (who Pikelny replaced in the bluegrass/jam band Leftover Salmon after Vann's untimely death). This is the second vocal number.
6. "Escher's Waltz" - Another Trischka original, featuring Alison Brown, who came to prominance with Alison Kraus and Union Station in the late-Eighties.
7. "Doggy Salt" - Another Trischka original featuring Scott Vestal, who has worked with Larry Sparks and Doyle Lawson before enjoying a successful solo career.
8. "The Crow" - Features Steve Martin, who is an accomplished banjo player. [Listen to side 2 of THE STEVE MARTIN BROTHERS.]
9. "Ivory Toad of Catalan" - Co-written with Fleck, the two again show their newgrass side.
10. "Arcadia" - Another track featuring Alison Brown.
11. "Old Cane Pole" - Features Bill Emerson, who was a founding member of the Country Gentlemen.
12. "Live and Let Live" - Features Tom Adams, the third vocal track.
13. "Armando's Children" - Written by Fleck, he and Trischka again explore the possibilities of the banjo outside a bluegrass context. At 5:47, it is the second-longest track.
14. "Plunkin' Rag" - The album closes with a footstomping romp between Trischka and Martin--two artists having fun.
And this entire album is fun. If you enjoy good banjo picking, this album is sure to delight. [Running Time - 57:14] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular marks acclaimed banjoinnovator Tony Trischka's return to acoustic bluegrass terrain - with aunique twist. Joined by a luminous roster of fellow five-stringers,Trischka travels down the rarely-explored avenue of full-band two-banjobluegrass. Trischka's innate gifts as a musician and arranger, coupled withhis unrivaled knowledge of banjo history and technique, ensure that theperformances on Double Banjo are both provocative and tasteful, rangingfrom tightly-reigned and harmonious to spacious and exploratory.Classically styled and dynamic, yet still finding new ways to expandtimeless traditions, Double Banjo is bluegrass as only Tony Trischka canenvision it.Featured banjo players include Earl Scruggs, Steve Martin, Béla Fleck,Alison Brown, Tom Adams, Bill Emerson, Kenny Ingram, Scott Vestal, and NoamPikelny, performing alongside Chris Thile, Dudley Connell, Tony Rice, JerryDouglas, Sam Bush, Ron Stewart, Michael Daves, and more."A great CD! Fine picking!" -Earl Scruggs"Tony's jovial wit and deep love of the banjo and acoustic music hasinfected and lifted me many times. Always a trailblazer, Tony plays thebanjo like Tony Trischka. And many other people around the world would loveto do the same." -Jerry Douglas"Wow what a CD. For banjo lovers everywhere a Tony Trischka recording ishigh on the list of acquisitions. When you check out the list of playerswho join Tony on this project you realize that it is a must have. Get itright now so you can start enjoying it immediately." -Jorma Kaukonen"I've known Tony Trischka for a long time, and I've always admired hisinventiveness. Wherever he goes musically, he always keeps it interesting -and when it comes to bluegrass, he's got a right hand that just won'tquit!" -Del McCoury"I don't give out blurbs anymore!" -Steve Martin

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Down From the Mountain: Live Concert Performances by the Artists & Musicians of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this album the first week it was released becuase it featured three of my favorite artists, The Whites, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss and I have found this album to be even BETTER than the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack! Emmylou Harris offers a fantastic version of 'Green Pastures' with Gillian Welch on harmony. The Whites perform an old tune 'Sandy Land' with Sharon White's amazing vocals on lead! Alison Kraus & Union station have two songs on the album, the first is 'Wild Bill Jones' with Krauss's band member Dan Tyminski on lead vocals, the second tune from Alison is her fantastic 'Blue & Lonesome'. Gillian Welch also presents two of her own tunes, with 'I Wanna Sing That Rock & Roll' being the better of the two. The album closes with Gillian & Alison's IBMA award winning 'I'll Fly Away'. The only disappointment on this album is the exclusion of bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley, who performed on the concert, and is on the video release of the concert. But all in all, this a fantastic album for the bluegrass lover!

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Tripping the Live Fantastic Review

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(More customer reviews)Paul McCartney's 1989-90 world tour was an absolute triumph, and this CD is the documentation of that fact. Paul himself hadn't played for a live American audience in 14 years, and it was 10 years before that since the Beatles stopped touring, so this tour was played to a hungrily enthusiastic audience, and that comes across loud and clear on this recording.
Roughly half the tracks here are Beatles tunes, including songs like "Birthday", "Back in the USSR", "Hey Jude", "Get Back", "Let it Be" and the concluding Abbey Road medley, that had never been performed live. This album is an absolute feast for Beatles fans.
Wings material is less well represented, sticking mainly to the mega-hits like "Band on the Run", "Jet" and "Live and Let Die".
The tour also functioned as a pretty good advertisement for the then-new "Flowers in the Dirt" CD; the six tracks presented here are well selected to highlight the strengths of that album. I especially like "Put it There", "We Got Married" and "This One".
The CD does a good job of capturing the band's energy and the crowd's enthusiasm. The setlist is heavier with rock-n-roll numbers like "I Saw Her Standing There", "Can't Buy Me Love", "Birthday", "Get Back" etc. than one might expect at first blush from McCartney, given his reputation for ballads, and the band plays several lengthy jams (see especially "Sgt Pepper").
The sing-along on "Hey Jude" is one of the great concert moments ever; it is representative of a phenomenon that was striking if you had the opportunity to attend one of the concerts from this tour in person - especially on the Beatles tunes, but also several of the others, you heard the band with one ear, and with the other, you heard 20,000 people singing along. The affection between Paul and his audience was palpable, and that comes through very well here.
There is precious little of the Beatles music available in live recording, and this CD helps fill that gap, but really, it stands on its own merit as a wonderful CD, and a great record of a great concert tour.

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Dailey & Vincent Review

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(More customer reviews)Some of the sweetest, most traditional-sounding bluegrass of the decade. Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent are both truegrass veterans - Darrin is Rhonda Vincent's brother, and was in her old band The Rage and also worked with John Hartford and Ricky Skaggs; Jamie Dailey sang with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver in the late 1990s, and has been collaborating with Vincent for a several years. Their voices and musical strengths blend beautifully, recalling the harmony vocal tradition of the Stanley Brothers at its finest. About half this album is gospel material, and is as heartfelt and moving as anything you'll hear in the genre. The repertoire includes some excellent modern songs, including gems from the late Randall Hylton as well as Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. This is old-school melodic bluegrass at its very best: it really doesn't get any sweeter than this. Highly recommended! (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue Guide To Hick Music)

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The most eagerly-anticipated bluegrass debut in recent memory, Dailey & Vincent introduces a powerful new ensemble steeped in bluegrass and country music traditions, but blessed with the drive, talent, and charisma to assert those timeless values proudly onto today's stage. Co-leaders Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent have already had a profound impact on much of the best modern bluegrass via their contributions to such estimable performers as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. Stepping out on their own for the first time, Dailey & Vincent make breathtaking music that seamlessly connects country music's roots in brother duet singing to its future in exhilarating, full-throttle bluegrass - without ever sacrificing heart, sincerity, and soul. "Even before one note of their stunning record had been heard, the pair earned a standing ovation at the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association convention and were booked for more than 100 shows. Now that the album is here, the advance accolades are completely understandable. This is music that can stand side by side with any of the most revered bluegrass discs ever made." - from the liner notes by Robert K. Oermann

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Remedy Review

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(More customer reviews)After A Collision, what was DC*B supposed to do? That record stands as a masterpiece of Christian music and rock music in general. Yet Remedy is not the disappointment it could have been.
Remedy is a return to form for the Waco, TX based worship group. What you'll get is 10 tracks of solid praise music, in true David Crowder Band genre-mixing electronically influenced style. This is the music you'll be hearing at forward-thinking churches around the world for the next few years, and if you get the record now you'll enjoy hearing the songs all the more. Standout tracks include "Glory of It All" with its instantly memorable hook, the borderline danceable "Can You Feel It?", and the title track.
All in all, this record is one that Christian music enthusiasts and worship leaders should definitely own. But if you're a fan of music in general, please do yourself a favor and get A Collision. It's not to be missed.

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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Farther Along (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having a lot of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band music in my collection, I decided to get the Farther Along DVD. This live performance features the five Dirt Band guys--Jeff Hanna, Jimmy Ibbotson, Jimmie Fadden, Bob Carpenter, and John McEuen--along with a number of high-quality guest artists. The guest performers include Jimmy Martin, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, John Hiatt, Vassar Clements, Jerry Douglas, Earl Scruggs, the McCoury Band(Dale, Robbie and Ronnie), Rosanne Cash, Taj Mahal, and Iris DeMent. The cast of performers is stellar, and there are a lot of highlights.
The performance gets off to a rousing start. Jimmy Martin, a veteran bluegrass performer, has appeared on all of NGDB's Will The Circle Be Unbroken records, and his rendition of "My Walkin' Shoes"(from the Dirt Band's original Circle album) draws a lot of applause. From then on, things get even better. Alison Krauss' vocals shine on "Catfish John". The McCourys' "Love Please Come Home" is a traditional bluegrass tune. "Mama's Opry", sung by Iris DeMent, and "Oh Cumberland", with Matraca Berg(Mrs. Jeff Hanna) singing, are both tender ballads. John Hiatt and Rosanne Cash perform "One Step Over The Line", which they sang on the Dirt Band's second Circle album. Earl Scruggs does some awesome banjo picking on "Earl's Breakdown". On Earl's classic tune, Vassar Clements plays fiddle, Jerry Douglas plays dobro, and Randy Scruggs backs up his father on lead guitar. "All Prayed Up", sung by Vince Gill, and "I Find Jesus", with NGDB's Ibbotson singing lead, are solid gospel numbers. Blues artist Taj Mahal's "Fishin' Blues" is a bouncy, humorous number. The show-stealing performance, however, is "The Lowlands", featuring vocals and guitar work by Jaime Hanna and Jonathan McEuen--the sons, respectively, of NGDB members Jeff Hanna and John McEuen. Jaime and Jonathan, in my opinion, are every bit as talented as their fathers. The entire cast of performers joins NGDB on "Will The Circle Be Unbroken", which by now has become a Dirt Band classic. A major strength of this DVD is the Dirt Band's performance of music which emphasizes their bluegrass and straight country roots as opposed to their modern country songs which have brought them commercial success while still drawing from their traditional sound.
Besides the Dirt Band's live concert performance, the Farther Along DVD has some excellent bonus material. First off, the extras include three additional songs which were in NGDB's original live show: Earl Scruggs and John McEuen's banjo instrumental "Soldier's Joy", the McCourys' "Take Me In Your Lifeboat", and Rosanne Cash's "Wildwood Flower". Maybelle Carter sang the latter song on the Dirt Band's first Circle album, and Rosanne's version is nearly as good. The music video of "The Lowlands", which got some airplay on Great American Country, is also included here, and I think the video is well-done with some great scenery. Finally, Farther Along includes a documentary about the making of the third Circle album, featuring interviews with the members of the Dirt Band and the guest artists as well as behind-the-scenes studio footage. Those of you who like NGDB--or just like music in general--will enjoy this "up close and personal" look at the Dirt Band. It features a stellar concert performance as well as a backstage look at how things all came together.

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The Circle continues with all three award-winning Will The Circle BeUnbroken volumes highlighted on this new DVD. Legendary country group Nitty GrittyDirt Band brought their friends and family together for a special celebration of theiracclaimed, Grammy-perennial Will The Circle Be Unbroken collaborative albums. Tapedfor airing this past March on Public Television.

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Secret, Profane and Sugarcane Review

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(More customer reviews)Do you remember his collaborations with Burt Bacharach? With Allen Toussaint? With Anne Sophie von Otter? Or hooking up with T-Bone Burnett for some of those rootsy string-band settings that proved popular for Robert Plant & Alison Krauss?
Well, on this one, the master of re-invention is back on familiar ground, back to Nashville.
Elvis Costello and T-Bone Burnett first crossed acoustic guitars in 1984 in the guise of the Coward Brothers. and they hit the road as duo.
Twenty years after their last performances as a duo, Costello and Burnett reunited for a set at a 2006 San Francisco bluegrass festival.
They were backed by three stalwarts of the genre, all Burnett regulars: fiddler Stuart Duncan, mandolin player Mike Compton and standup bassist Dennis Crouch. Two years later, the three pickers, along with dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas, gathered in Studio A at Nashville's righteously old-school Sound Emporium - where Burnett and his brilliant engineer Mike Piersante had cut the soundtracks to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", "Cold Mountain" and "Walk The Line", along with Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' modern-day classic Raising Sand.
"Secret, Profane & Sugarcane", Costello's first country album since King of America was recorded in just three days. T Bone Burnett (who helmed Costello's 1986 album, "King of America" -- and, less memorably, 1989's Spike) is in the producer's chair.
Emmylou Harris adds her burnished alto to one song that Burnett co-writes, "The Crooked Line" and the band is made up of top-rank country and bluegrass session men.
On this album we are far from the siren lure of Plant & Krauss's harmonies. But the result is equally intriguing.
This collection of songs is more rootsy than 1981's Almost Blue. Costello's dalliance in fiddly, old-time country music almost feels like a return to base camp. The tracks are predominantly acoustic but retain a fiercely contemporary feel despite being drenched in bluegrass traditions.
Costello's at times strained honk is warmed by the close harmonies of Jim Lauderdale and set against exquisite mandolin, soaring fiddle, double bass and accordion.
There are many nods to the country-music establishment -- songs originally composed for the late Johnny Cash, one co-written with Loretta Lynn -- but this is essentially music of the moment.
"Down Among the Wine and Spirits", "How Deep Is the Red" and "Sulphur to Sugarcane" - the latter is another Burnett co-write in the spirit of Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" - all speak of a man securely in touch with his muse.
On the title refrain of "How Deep Is The Red" and the following "She Was No Good", a pair of art songs from Costello's 2005 Hans Christian Anderson commission for the Royal Danish Opera - the effect might sound lugubrious, with no impetus and not memorable, despite the impeccable execution.
"Red Cotton", the last of the Andersen songs, is the most gripping ballad entry, functioning as a sort of sequel to Randy Newman's "Sail Away", while "Changing Partners", which Costello learned from a Bing Crosby record, closes the album on a classic note". - Uncut
There's no flash and filigree here, just the reassuring sound of solid craftsmanship unselfishly placed in the service of deft narratives of ordinary lives, shot through with extraordinary emotion.
According to some, the album is a little too languid, too cluttered and the songs rarely catch fire.
Truth is: playing it so unusually safe is no bad thing for Costello, his songwriting remains impeccably tight and this is an album, full of good stuff and reveals a host of immediately enjoyable songs.
Highlights: "Down Among the Wines and Spirits", "Hidden Shame", the delightful "Sulphur To Sugarcane" and the magnificently wordly "My All Time Doll", delivered by Costello with restrained intensity.
Painted from Memory
The River in Reverse
For the Stars

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The record was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded by Mike Piersante during a three-day session at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studio. Joining Costello were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff Taylor (accordion) and Dennis Crouch (double bass), some of the most highly regarded recording artists and musicians in traditional American country music, Bluegrass and beyond.The album includes ten previously unrecorded songs. "Sulphur to Sugarcane" and "The Crooked Line", were co-written with T Bone Burnett while, "I Felt The Chill" marks Costello's second recorded songwriting collaboration with Loretta Lynn. Costello revisits two songs from his catalogue in string band style. Both songs were originally written for Johnny Cash. "Hidden Shame" was indeed included on Cash's album, "Boom Chicka Boom". The album title makes reference to "The Secret Songs", Costello's unfinished commission for the Royal Danish Opera about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Seeking a new connection from the author to the Anglophone world, Costello wrote about the Andersen's relationship with the world famous singer, Jenny Lind in "She Handed Me A Mirror" and "How Deep Is The Red". "She Was No Good", relates some of the chaotic details of Lind's famous "All-American" concert tour of 1850, which was promoted by P.T. Barnum. In its aftermath, "Red Cotton" imagines Barnum reading an Abolishionist pamphlet, while manufacturing cheap souvenirs of the adventure. These four episodes were newly adapted for the instrumentation of this record.Indeed these are first Costello compositions to be predominantly rooted in acoustic music since his 1986 album, "King Of America", which was produced by T Bone Burnett.He also produced the 1989 album, "Spike". T Bone adds his distinctive Kay electric guitar to several of numbers, the only amplified instrument on the recording. Jim Lauderdale takes the close vocal harmony part throughout the record and Emmylou Harris contributed a third vocal part on the chorus of "The Crooked Line" on the final day of recording.The record concludes with the waltz, "Changing Partners", a song made famous by Bing Crosby.The cover artwork of "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane" is an ink drawing by the renowned cartoonist, illustrator and author, Tony Millionaire.Elvis Costello first recorded in Nashville with George Jones in 1979 and returned to the city for "Almost Blue", his 1981 album of classic country covers. He returned to the city in 2004 to record a duet rendition of "The Scarlet Tide" with Emmylou Harris. This song, co-written with T Bone Burnett, received an Academy Award nomination for Alison Krauss' rendition in the motion picture, "Cold Mountain" in 2003.

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Reasons Why: The Very Best (CD + DVD) Review

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(More customer reviews)When Nickel Creek announced their separation in August 2006, many fans were in agony. This collection clearly demonstrates why. Their music is wholly original and unique, based on bluegrass/new acoustic instrumentation with rock and jazz influences and technical virtuosity, a combination not found in any other current band. This collection displays all their strengths in a single disc format, concluding with a phenomenal demonstration of their musical abilities in a live setting.
I have never seen a greatest hits collection that fans believe wholly captures their favorite band's abilities, and the same can obviously be said about "Reasons Why." Despite this, the collection gathers both "greatest hits" and songs that give an overview of their abilities. Interestingly, the track listing is not sequential, likely to provide shifts in moods and feels; selections from the first CD are more gentle while those from their most recent one are heavier, so placing them out of order gives the sound more variety. However, it also takes away from the obvious growth of the band in the 5 years between "Nickel Creek" and "Why Should the Fire Die?" Imagine a Beatles greatest hits that juxtaposes "All My Loving" with "Strawberry Fields" before returning to "A Hard Day's Night." It's harder to see the musical progression of the band and appreciate how far they came in a short time.
What this collection offers is the gorgeous harmonies of "Out of the Woods," the instrumental excellence of "Smoothie Song," the pop accesibility of "This Side," the loveliness of "When You Come Back Down," and the songwriting sophistication of "helena." All fans will be upset by what was left off (I'll argue for the inclusion of 'ode to a Butterfly," the outstanding instrumental that introduced the band on their first wide-release CD), but will have trouble arguing that this is a great overview, particularly for a band with only three common releases (their first CD is more of a children's recording of cowboy songs, while their next CD is out of print and not currently available).
For those who have all their recordings, this collection offers not only all their videos--a nice addition for us obsessive collectors--but two outstanding live tracks. The first, "You Don't Have to Move that Mountain," is from the out-of-print CD and has been a concert staple for years; it is solidly performed and great to have. But it is "The Fox" that demonstrates our apoplexy at the band's "break." Who else can start with a classic folk song before breaking into a Dylan rap and an extended classical selection before bringing it back together for an energized finish in nine minutes? No one. There is no band like Nickle Creek.

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1. The Lighthouse's Tale (5:00) Composed by Chris Thile 2. Out of the Woods (5:20) 3. When in Rome (4:15) Composed by Chris Thile 4. Helena (4:40) Composed by Chris Thile 5. Smoothie Song (3:19) Composed by Chris Thile 6. Somebody More Like You (2:58) Composed by Sean Watkins 7. Reasons Why (4:07) Composed by Sean Watkins 8. Can't Complain (5:31) Composed by Chris Thile 9. I Should've Known Better (4:26) Composed by Carrie Newcomer 10. This Side (3:34) Composed by Sean Watkins 11. Jealous of the Moon (4:40) Composed by Gary Louris 12. When You Come Back Down (3:52) Composed by Tim O'Brien 13. You Don't Have to Move That Mountain (Live) (3:51) Composed by Keith Whitley 14. The Fox (Live) (9:19) Composed by Bob Dylan 15. Reasons Why (DVD) () Composed by Sean Watkins 16. When You Come Back Down (DVD) () Composed by Tim O'Brien 17. Lighthouse's Tale (DVD) () Composed by Chris Thile 18. This Side (DVD) () Composed by Sean Watkins 19. Speak (DVD) () Composed by Sean Watkins 20. Smoothie Song (DVD) () Composed by Chris Thile 21. When in Rome (DVD) () Composed by Chris Thile

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Down from the Mountain (The "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Concert) (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie, part stage show and part local color with a good bit of nostalgia thrown in, is breathtaking, riveting, spellbinding, transcendent. It begins with a night tour of Nashville's exciting places; from the limo window we see Tootsie's, the Ryman Auditorium, Second Avenue, Lower Broadway. We share our ride with Ralph Stanley, who has "come down from the mountain." We spend time backstage at the Ryman while the performers are waiting their turns, and eavesdrop on John Hartford as he spins a tale about wanting to be a librarian. We listen to a couple of blues players talk about their work and discover that Emmylou Harris is a baseball fan. The show itself is country at its best. Rock and roll doesn't show its face; there are no gyrations or big hats or shrill voices. Just country, with memories of the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, and a plethora of old time musicians who sang of hard times and death and endurance. We will always remember Emmylou Harris's sweet, true voice, Allison Krause's melodic outpouring, and Gillian Welch's beautiful harmony. We'll remember the Peasall sisters and the Fairfield Four and Ralph Stanley; but most of all, we'll remember the magic moment when John Hartford began to sing "Big Rock Candy Mountain." It was one of his last performances before he succumbed to cancer, but his voice was steady and strong, and his hands sure on the violin. This was old time music as it should be, and even the newer songs sounded old. It reminds us of how far modern country music has strayed from its roots, and how easy and pleasant it is to go back to them again.

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On May 24, 2000, the historic Ryman Auditorium was booked to offer Nashvillians an evening of sublime beauty. Label executives and soundtrack producers so loved the music of O Brother, Where Art Thou? that they brought it to life as a benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen loved it so much that they hired famed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker to record the show for posterity. The concert that unfolded that night was one of the greatest musical moments in the annals of Music City. Performers: John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Thomas King, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, Union Station, Colin Linden, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, The Whites. 98 minutes.

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King of Bluegrass: The Life & Times of Jimmy Martin (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)For any Jimmy Martin fan or bluegrass fan for that matter, this is a movie to own. He's an interesting character and this movie proves it. He reminds me a lot of my late grandfather(my dad's dad). I was thoroughly impressed with this movie. It was so good to see Jimmy "in action". It shows that Jimmy is not just someone who has become a parody of himself or someone else, he's still a bluegrass/country "artist" after all these years. I had the privilege of seeing Jimmy at the bean blossom bluegrass festival in 2002, but it was great to see an in depth look at the man behind "the legend". I don't think you'll be disappointed with this film. Mr. Goehl worked very hard on it, and it shows. I just hope he can someday make a sequel!!! :-)

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This DVD documents Martin's lifelong quest to become a regular member ofthe Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Known for his flamboyant dress andbrash behavior, Martin is the rebel figure of bluegrass. From 1949 to1954 he was the lead singer and guitarist for bluegrass pioneer BillMonroe's Blue Grass Boys, helping form the "high lonesome sound" that'sso widely regarded today. Martin went on to a successful solo career,recording for Decca, but the Grand Ole Opry eluded him all his life. "King Of Bluegrass" features interviews, exclusive live footage, and rare historical footage of Jimmy and many of country music's early pioneers.

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Make The Road By Walking (2009 Tour Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Love this album - not as heavy as Budos Band, groovier than Bluenote Remixes and no vocals. Perfect for late night lounge but also chill dinner parties! :)

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Australian two CD Tour Edition of this popular 2008 Daptone release, featuring a bonus CD containing two new MSB tracks and two tracks from fantastic Deep Soul vocalist Charles Bradley. The band is a collaboration of musicians from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, El Michels Affair, Antibalas and The Budos Band, brought together by musician/producer Thomas Brenneck. Daptone. 2009.

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Raising Sand Review

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(More customer reviews)This is wonderful listening. Even more, it's truly significant. That's in part because of the reaction _ I don't how many times in the last few months I've read about what seems to "critics'' and others to be a truly strange pairing. Something like: "You'd never expect two singers so far apart to team up, but it seems to work.''
That's nonsense (except the part about it working _ it doesn't "seem,'' it's real.) That's because the "critics'' and others put music in boxes and can't understand a pairing of "bluegrass,'' (the quotes are intentional) and heavy metal. This is Americana, but Americana as interpreted by Plant, Krauss and T-Bone Burnett that transcends category in a way that few albums do. Look on top. How many different categories does it rank No. 1. _ Rock, pop, folk, international. That's what music should be but too often isn't because the folks who run record companies and radio stations want to put music in the narrowest possible category.
It's also a breakthrough for all three artists, including Burnett, but especially Krauss, who in her last few albums has boxed herself in with very nice listenable material that's too often predictable. A couple of the albums won Grammys(she has 20)and they're incredibly well produced and performed, but after a while one Robert Lee Castleman song turns into another and the effect is underwhelming.
On this one, she uses all her talents, even, perhaps even as the excellent producer she is _ Burnett clearly took her advice and Plant's on some of the songs. Her country/bluegrass fiddle turns into gypsy violin on "Sister Rosetta,'' producing a haunting effect that's rarely heard in this kind of music.
Beyond that, I've never heard an album where the voices blend so well that it's hard to tell where one stops and the other picks up _ Tom Waits' "Trampled Rose'' is the exemplar of that and the most fascinating and haunting song on the album.
But it's almost all wonderful and it ends with what sounds very much like a little game being played by Burnett and Krauss in particular. The last number begins with Mike Seeger on autoharp leading into a Doc Watson gospel tune. Seeger discovered Elizabeth Cotten, who was his family's housekepper, and he was one of the pioneers who convinced record labels to record roots artists, Watson among them. It's also the most Krauss-like _ it's closest to what she does, right down to using a gospel number to close her albums (and her shows.)
But most of this is totally new territory for both artists. Maybe Krauss should have gone there a decade ago or maybe the timing is perfect. It's one of the few albums _ Luncinda Williams' "Essence'' is another _ that can get away with slow tempos and minor keys on two-thirds of the songs and not sound repetitious or boring.
Again, it's most important because it defies category. Other artists are trying _ Ben Harper and Norah Jones, with whom Krauss guested on a Bonnie Raitt show/CD/DVD are mingling pop, rock, country, gospel and reggae (in Harper's case.) The more the younger generation goes beyong genre and into "just music,'' the better off we'll all be. (Uh, no, Plant, at 59, isn't exactly the younger generation, but he's been looking for new frontiers for a decade or more.)
He's also a Brit and Brits tend to understand American music better than most Americans. In any case, people like Mark Knopfler, Steve Winwood, Van Morrison and even Jagger/Richard stay away from boxes. (And, by the way, I just heard Krauss do a wonderful version of Winwood/Traffic's "I Can't Find My Way Home'' on XM) It was issued three years ago as part of a TV Soundtrack. So yes, she's known for a long time that there's a big wide world of music out there.
This landmark album makes that point even more strongly.


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The musical collaboration of the decade, Raising Sand is the sound of two iconic figures stepping out of their respective comfort zones and letting their instincts lead them across a brave new sonic landscape. Despite hailing from distinctly different backgrounds, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant share a maverick spirit and willingness to extend the boundaries of their respective genres. This spirit, expertly honed by producer T Bone Burnett, has resulted in an album pitched three steps beyond some cosmic collision of early urban blues, spacious West Texas country, and the untapped potential of the folk-rock revolution. Supported by the unparalleled musicianship of Marc Ribot, Dennis Crouch, Mike Seeger, Jay Bellerose, Norman Blake, Greg Leisz, Patrick Warren, and Riley Baugus, Plant and Krauss -- as both solo and harmony vocalists -- tackle an intriguing selection of songs from such tunesmiths as Tom Waits, Gene Clark, Sam Phillips, Townes Van Zandt, The Everly Broth! ers, and Mel Tillis. Raising Sand finds Robert Plant and Alison Krauss exploring popular music's elemental roots while still sounding effortlessly, breath-takingly contemporary. The song "Killing the Blues" is featured in the new JC Penney American Living Campaign.

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The Hard Way (Tour Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)James Hunter is less Sam Cooke on this one, and more Ray Charles. He's clearly been absorbing the Atlantic/Stax catalogue - which is a great thing. Why not learn from the best?
Like on his previous CD, it's all original material. Hunter continues to exhibit his rare gift for writing songs that come out sounding like old r&b classics from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. And that's not easy. In fact, I can't think of any other current artist able to do it!
This is punchier, with more grit and growl than the ultra-smooth "People Gonna Talk" - and better reflects the energy of his "live" show. It's another beautifully paced mixture of mid-tempo and up-tempo compositions, with only a couple slow numbers. Many tracks feature prominent sax, keyboards, and sometimes a low-key violin section. As a whole, it rocks a little more than its predecessor - and has a somewhat looser, more organic feel to it. He sounds more contemporary. Lyrically, these are songs of unrequited love - the romantic pleas of a persistent suitor - but they're never sad or morose. A couple others offer hard-won advice gleaned from life lessons. In either case, he lets you know he's a survivor and a fighter.
For a guitar hotshot, Hunter seems to prefer being an understated team player - really letting loose only a few times. "Don't Do Me No Favours", "Til The End", and "Ain't Goin' Nowhere" all contain incendiary guitar work. "Carina" is similar to "Mollena" from the last CD. It's a sound I love - like Ben E. King and the Drifters. "She's Got A Way" slightly resembles Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman", while "Believe Me Baby" channels Ray's "What'd I Say" with a chorus nod to Rufus Thomas' "Walking The Dog" (featuring great Allen Toussaint piano). Another stand-out is "Jacqueline", which seems inspired by Little Richard's "Good Golly, Miss Molly" and Chuck Berry's "Maybellene". The man has impeccable good taste! As usual, his vocals are soulful and spot-on.
Really, the whole CD is terrific. This guy's going to be around for a long time. I love "People Gonna Talk" a lot, but "The Hard Way" is even better. If you get it, I guarantee you'll enjoy it.

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Soul deep Brit James Hunter - who possesses a "tight, slithery soul groove" and a "sweet growl" (NY Times) - will make his Hear Music debut with the release of 'The Hard Way.' The new album finds Hunter delving further into the realm of deep soul on a set of all-original material. 'The Hard Way' was produced by Liam Watson (The White Stripes) at famed analogue haven Toe Rag Studios in London. The instrumental palette is rich and the arrangements sharpened for 'The Hard Way.' Allen Toussaint joins Hunter on the sultry "Til The End," the rhumba "Believe Me Baby," and the title track. The gorgeous Echo Strings buoy "The Hard Way" and the romantic "Carina," with accompanying pedal steel. The jumping "Don't Do Me No Favors" is designed for the dance floor. The album resolves with the romantic ballad "Strange But True," the first Hunter recording stripped down to just vocals and guitar. The album also showcases further evidence of Hunter's guitar prowess, his manic solos recalling the fretwork of Ike Turner. Hunter has extensively road tested the new album, crisscrossing North America and Europe since his 2006, GRAMMY nominated album 'People Gonna Talk' put him on the map. That album took him from being "one of the best voices, and best kept secrets, in British R'n'B and Soul," as Van Morrison put it, to a major breakout success of 2006. He opened for Etta James, Boz Scaggs, Los Lonely Boys, and Aretha Franklin; reached #1 on Billboard's Blues chart; and made several national television appearances. 'People Gonna Talk; earned him critical acclaim as well, with Rolling Stone calling it "a treat not to miss" and USA Today raving about his "sublime soul."--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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Wonder (Tour Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)Lisa Mitchell is just great.
Her first two Ep's "Welcome To The Afternoon" & "Said One To The Other" both had some amazing tracks on them, but as with most EP's, were lacking a little maturity and experience.
Now with the release of her debut full length album, all those mistakes are fixed. The maturity is there and the songs are crafted perfectly which show her experience.
Now this album is not perfect, one or two of the songs are a little un interesting but the majority are just fantastic. Favourites are: "Neapolitan Dreams, Coin Laundry, Pirouette, Oh Hark"
Well worth the money.

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Special expanded tour edition with new artwork and six additional tracks. 2009 debut album from the 19 year old singer/songwriter who took part in Australian Idol at the tender age of 16. Writers on the album include Ed Harcourt and Crispin Hunt (Newton Faulkner) and the whole affair was produced by Dann Hume and mixed by John Hume (both of Evermore). The single 'Neapolitan Dreams' was used in a recent 'Surf' TV commercial. RCA.

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Dolly Parton - Live and Well (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)1. Orange Blossom Special AND Train, Train
2. The Grass Is Blue
3. Mountain Angel
4. Shine
5. Littel Sparrow
6. Rocky Top
7. My Tennessee Mountain Home
8. Coat Of Many Colors
9. Smokey Mountain Memories
10. AppleJack
11. Marry Me
12. Halos And Horns
13. I'm Gone
14. Dagger Through My Heart
15. If
16. After The Gold Rush
17. 9 To 5
18. Jolene
19. A Cappella Medley: Islands In The Stream/Here You Come Again/Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That/Two Doors Down
20. We Irish
21. Stairway To Heaven
22. I Will Always Love You

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No Description AvailableNo Track Information AvailableMedia Type: DVDArtist: PARTON,DOLLYTitle: LIVE & WELLStreet Release Date: 09/14/2004

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Band of Joy Review

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(More customer reviews)OK, I'll get this out up front: I think this is Robert Plant's single best offering. Ever. There, I said it - and I can feel the psychic outpourings from a gazillion Zep fans already.
Of course Plant produced wondrous things in 'that other band'. I'm sure I could select any number of permutations of single Zeppelin, or even post-Zeppelin, tracks and put them together in a compilation that I rate higher than I do this. But, no previous, non-compilation, offering satisfies me in quite the way Band of Joy does. Perhaps that simply reflects the 30 plus years I've put on post the untimely demise of what to me was the unparalleled rock band. As one other reviewer has said: there was Zeppelin and then there was everyone else.
So what makes Band of Joy so pleasurable for me? It's a long list. For starters and in no particular order:
Track selection: I like the way Plant has delved into the archives and brought to us a selection of tunes that range from foot-stomping to dark and brooding. I can't fault it. He's introduced me to stuff I would not otherwise have heard and that means that I will probably go back to the source for some of it to hear how they have been reinterpreted. So, he's honouring us as listeners and those who have laid the way before him.
Plant's voice: Of course his has always been one of the great distinctive rock voices. At 62 though we can't expect the wail of the Immigrant Song. On this album his voice ranges from playful to introspective and at all times he sounds completely in control of it. He does give us the occasional peek back to signature notes from his career but this is a wonderfully assured mature voice. He seems an artist who has absolutely nothing left to prove and is revelling in the artistic freedom that gives him.
Musicianship: With the exception of Buddy Miller, I was not aware of any of the other instrumentalists on this album. Of course, RP has worked with the best in his time. These guys all live up to the standards one would expect. Plant's own comments sum them up: "The musicianship of these guys is almost frightening, singing with them, I'm just sliding down the rigging with a knife in my teeth, trying to make off with a few experiences. Sometimes I think I should just be helping out in catering."
Patty Griffin: long one of my favourite singer-songwriters Griffin brings an other worldliness to Band of Joy. Make no mistake, this is not an album of duets. Rather she adds a depth, complexity and richness to the sound that is almost instrumental. Having heard it I struggle to imagine the album without it.
I'm hard pressed to single out favourites from this album. There's certainly no tracks that on the umpteenth listening I'm hitting the skip track button on. If pushed I would pick 'Central Two-O-Nine'; 'Silver Rider'; 'Falling in Love Again'; 'The Only Sound That Matters'; 'Monkey'; and 'Harm's Swift Way' but that list might change tomorrow.
I'm fascinated to hear where Plant goes next. I could care less whether Zeppelin reunites - we have a wonderful archival history to draw from. In the liner notes to Band of Joy Plant gives gratitude to David Rawlings and Gillian Welch for kindness and hospitality. A collaboration with that couple would be fascinating.

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2011 GRAMMY NOMINEE: BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE & BEST AMERICANA ALBUM Robert Plant's Band of Joy reflects his unquenchable thirst for new songs and new sounds. Not satisfied with his stature as one of the great innovators and heroes of pop music, he continues to let his curiosity guide him to unexplored territory. Building on the roots-imbued sound he achieved with Alison Krauss on the wildly successful Raising Sand, Plant's song selection and incomparable vocals make Band of Joy a new triumph.

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Hundred Million Suns-Tour Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)Tried this CD and loved it so much that I bought previous Snow Patrol CDs and went to see in concert. Just outstanding performances. Still sceptical? Try the new greatest hits CD.

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SNOW PATROL - A Hundred Million Suns - (Polydor/Fiction/Geffen Records)DELUXE EDITION - INCLUDES BONUS DVD WITH EXCLUSIVE DOCUMENTARY AND LIVE PERFORMANCESThe album is preceded by the fantastic single "Take Back The City", which comes with a video shot in East London courtesy of acclaimed video director Alex Courtes (White Stripes "Seven Nation Army").Gary Lightbody (vocals/guitars) says, ""I'm so proud of this record. Everybody played out of their skin. Garret (Jacknife Lee) continued his progression from maverick genius to one of the best producers in the world. Musically, lyrically and sonically the best record we've made."The Grammy-nominated band's fifth studio album was recorded throughout the Summer of 2008 in Hansa Studios in Berlin (where Bowie recorded "Low," "Heroes" and "Lodger") and at Grouse Lodge deep in the Irish countryside. Written by Snow Patrol, the album was produced by Garret "Jacknife" Lee (Bloc Party, REM, U2). Snow Patrol are one of the biggest selling UK bands this decade and A Hundred Million Suns follows up the 2006 Number One, seven-times platinum phenomenon Eyes Open which sold 2.1 million copies in the UK and over 1 million in the US. Eyes Open achieved platinum awards across the world from the US and Canada to Germany, Australia and beyond, selling over 4.5 million copies. Their single "Chasing Cars" has just received its 2 millionth download in the US.--This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

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