Jeremy Stephens- How I Hear It review

My review of Jeremy Stephens new ‘solo’ bluegrass banjo album is up at Fervor Coulee Bluegrass courtesy of Country Standard Time. It is a really enjoyable album- lots of hot picking, but not at the expense of recognizable melody!

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Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Roots Albums of 2020

I’ve been writing about roots music for 20 years, and have been assembling self-indulgent ‘favourite roots albums of the year’ lists for most of that time. While always a pleasant challenge, this year’s list was the most difficult for me to assemble. COVID-19 kept me even more tied to my remote music world this year,…

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Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Bluegrass Albums of 2020

This year I decided to limit my Favourite Bluegrass Albums of the Year to ten titles; not only is that a manageable number, it was a place where I noticed a natural break between albums I listened to repeatedly and those that I quite enjoyed but didn’t return to after reviewing. The following didn’t make…

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Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Roots Albums of 2020…so far

As the first half of 2020 comes to a close (and thank criminy for that) and inspired by Exclaim! magazine’s request that I participate in their ‘top albums of the year…so far’ project (shocker: none of my albums made their list, and I even eliminated the bluegrass albums because I knew there was no point),…

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High Fidelity- Banjo Player’s Blues review

High Fidelity Banjo Player’s Blues Rebel Records Capsule: Bluegrass music performed to the highest level by youthful revisionists. Paragraph to get to the point: When the history of bluegrass music is discussed, it is largely done so from a male perspective. The IBMA’s own Hall of Fame (previously Hall of Honor) is just one piece…

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Dale Ann Bradley & Tina Adair and Jesse McReynolds reviews

Two reviews have been published at Country Standard Time. Dale Ann Bradley & Tina Adair have worked together previously, but this is their first album of duets. We don’t hear from Grand Ole Opry and Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Jesse McReynolds as frequently as once we did, but when the 90-year old legend decides…

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Ten Takeaways from Blueberry Bluegrass 2019

The festival has never been so appealingly eclectic. While it was once billed as “& Country Music Festival” and as such included some very questionable lineup choices (look no further than Trick Ryder and Dirt Road Angels), Blueberry is now decidedly and positively heterogeneous in its ‘big tent’ approach to bluegrass and acoustic roots music.…

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More Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, 2019- Stony Plain, Alberta reflections- Day Two

The second day of three-day fests are the most difficult, I find. The novelty of day one is over—the renewing of acquaintances, the excitement of once again celebrating great music in a community—and by the end of the day, no matter the quality of music, I am bagged. Proof in point—in bed by 10:30 last…

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Fervor Coulee’s Favourite Bluegrass Albums of 2018

Favourite, not best. I happen to consider them the best, but you certainly may feel different. One will notice no ‘big tent’ bluegrass on this list-the furthest afield I go is with my #1 album, which is still fair solid bluegrass. These are the albums I felt delivered in 2018. 1. The Travelin’ McCourys- The…

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High Fidelity- Hills and Home review

High Fidelity Hills and Home Rebel Records Every decade or so, Rebel Records signs a performer with limited national presence and assists them in ascending the bluegrass ladder: Steep Canyon Rangers; Chris Jones; Lonesome River Band; Lost & Found; Cliff Waldron… This time out, that band is High Fidelity. High Fidelity’s second album, Hills and…

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