Scott Vestal, et al- Bluegrass 2022 review

Scott Vestal, et al Bluegrass 2022 Pinecastle Bluegrass 2022 is the ninth in a series of instrumental bluegrass sets featuring Scott Vestal (banjo) and whomever he is playing with at the time. The series began in 1995 and ran consecutively until 2001 before being resurrected in 2020. This latest volume features Cody Kilby (guitar), Byron…

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Jim Hurst- From the Ground Up review

Jim Hurst From the Ground Up Pinecastle It has been some many years since I last heard a Jim Hurst album. I purchased Intrepid years ago upon release, and his performance of “Dew On The Mountain” remains one of my favourites. Jim Hurst is under-known within the acoustic and bluegrass worlds despite a career of…

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Five Bluegrass Reviews in One

Pinecastle and Bonfire Recent Releases Kim Robins Leave the Porch Light OnLorraine Jordan and Carolina Road I Can Go To ThemDaryl Mosley Small Town DreamerDeeper Shade of Blue Twenty All Pinecastle Music Andrew Crawford The Lonesome Season (Bonfire Recordings) Being the 37th most influential bluegrass music writer in Canada, and the 429th in all of…

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Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass- Bluegrass Troubadour review

Danny Paisley never disappoints, but this time out he and the Southern Grass have outdone themselves. My review of Bluegrass Troubadour is published over at Fervor Coulee Bluegrass at the Country Standard Time site. Paisley is a master bluegrass vocalist, and on this album of story songs he has reached a new pinnacle. Great stuff…

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Wilson Banjo Co.- Six Degrees of Separation review

Wilson Banjo Co. Six Degrees of Separation Pinecastle An odd recording, this. And I use the word ‘odd’ deliberately and without negative judgement. Six Degrees of Separation is odd because, well—we just don’t get that many bluegrass albums built around one man’s banjo creations. Steve Wilson is a recognized master at building the 5-string banjo,…

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Merle Monroe- Songs of a Simple Life review

Merle Monroe- Songs of a Simple Life Pinecastle Sometimes writing about acoustic music is the simplest thing in the world: all I need is an album that enhances the traditions of the past thirty or fifty years while embracing a fresh, contemporary aural approach. Perfect examples of this would be any Dale Ann Bradley recording,…

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Dale Ann Bradley- Things She Couldn’t Get Over review

Dale Ann Bradley Things She Couldn’t Get Over Pinecastle DaleAnnBradley.com There has not been a bluegrass artist over the last two decades who has consistently developed her art to the degree Dale Ann Bradley has done. Each album she records sounds like her last, a capstone to a career of intense focus and artistic growth.…

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Phil Leadbetter & the All Stars of Bluegrass- Swing for the Fences review

Phil Leadbetter has been, since about 2003, one of my favourite people in bluegrass. He is just a nice guy. His new album, with the late Steve Gulley, Alan Bibey, Robert Hale, and Jason Burleson, is stout. My review at Country Standard Time: https://www.countrystandardtime.com/d/cdreview.asp?xid=7242

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The Dillards- Old Road New Again review

The second of a trio of reviews of new Pinecastle Records bluegrass releases, published over at Country Standard Time. If you are coming to this album expecting to hear The Darlings, “Ground Hog,” or Doug, Webb, or Jayne, you are likely to be disappointed. With open ears, you may find something quite appealing. Link to…

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Robert Hale & the 8th Wonder Band- Blue Haze review

I’ve got three reviews from Pinecastle Records artists coming up this week. All published over at the fresh and revamped Country Standard Time. First up is an EP from Robert Hale & the 8th Wonder Band. Good, not great. But worth a listen, I think.

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