Bluegrass Unlimited #1 Albums...Plus

Laura Orshaw - Solitary Diamond (August-October 2022)

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Laura Orshaw

Home page of Laura Orshaw, from Cambridge, MA
lauraorshaw.com

Laura first hit my radar in 2020 when she joined The Po' Ramblin' Boys on fiddle. So I figured her new album would be a routine instrumental showcase. Boy was I wrong! Laura is a very solid singer, with a twangy voice steeped in the rural folk tradition of artists like Hazel Dickens. She was born in Pennsylvania and became active musically in Boston, working with several bluegrass bands, one of which she led. At the same time, Orshaw was a much sought after fiddle teacher.

The songs on Solitary Diamond run the gamut from country love ballad ("I'll Be Hurtin' Either Way") to folk anthem ("Veins Of Coal"), not to mention a bouncy tribute to a female fiddler paced by no fewer than three of the damn things (Percy Grainger, beware). Trad country even gets a nod with "Hank", a song about you-know-who. Overall the sound is firmly fixed in the old school bluegrass style,

Far better than a mere side project from a moonlighting band member, this album stands on its own as a fine solo effort.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter.

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Lonesome River Band - Heyday (November 2022-March 2023, May 2023)

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We've seen this veteran band here before but this time there are two new members, Adam Miller and Kameron Keller. Miller adds a bluesy style to his lead vocals. Sammy Shelor, in his fourth decade with LRB, continues the sharp banjo licks that have come to identify the band. As usual, the songs are well selected and offer a variety of moods from playful to prayerful. Another strong outing for the group that never seems to slow down.
 
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LRB is still on top, so let's take a look at a band that may be new to you. I know you've heard the Seldom Scene, but have you seen...

The Rarely Herd - Heartbreak City (1994)

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AMG tells us:

The Rarely Herd were among the finest contemporary bluegrass bands to come out of Ohio, and became quite popular on the festival circuit. Playing a wide variety of progressive and traditional bluegrass along with their own unique compositions and adaptations from other genres, the Rarely Herd were especially noted for their close vocal harmonies and energetic performances. Their lineup included guitarist and lead singer Jim Stack; his brother, fiddler/mandolinist/vocalist Alan Stack, a former child prodigy; and bassist Jim Weaver. A 1992 showcase at the International Bluegrass Music Awards established the Ohio band as a force in contemporary bluegrass.



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Unfortunately the Herd moved on down the trail after some reunion shows in 2016. This album features traditional bluegrass with the hard edge one expects from rural Ohio bands. Covers of Buddy Holly ("Well...Alright") and Elvis Presley ("Mystery Train") work surprisingly well.
 
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Ma Crow & The Lady Slippers - Wayward Daughter (2013)

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Alvin Crow? :boohoo:

Old Crow Medicine Show? ℞

Old Crow? :drink:

No, it's Ma Crow & The Lady Slippers!

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This veteran Cincinnati-based band consists of Ma Crow (guitar), Margie Drees (fiddle) and Vicki Abbott (bass). Ma has been around since 1999 in bands such as Ma Crow and the Flock, Ma Crow and the Medicine Show and, my favorite, The Motherpluckers. Their acoustic sound naturally leans toward old time string band. But for this, the band's first album (Ma's second), the addition of Trina Emig of The Cincinnati Radio Band on banjo brings the focus squarely back to bluegrass. The songs are mostly traditional, with one original by Margie Drees, "Song For Eliza" dedicated to the young heroine of "Uncle Tom's Cabin". Ma's earthy, bluesy vocals suit perfectly the mix of gospel and rural blues, not to mention her stellar cover of Emmylou's "Tulsa Queen".

:4.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. Another obscure band well worth Crowing about.

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Rose Maddox - Rose Maddox Sings Bluegrass (1962)

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For nearly 50 years, the California Bluegrass Association has supported bluegrass music here in the Golden State. Their monthly bulletin, "The Bluegrass Breakdown" is chock full of information about local shows and classes, as well as articles of a historical nature.

This month, Jon Hartley Fox (whose book "King Of The Queen City" is an essential study of King Records) examines the background of Rose Maddox's early foray into bluegrass. He points out that this was the first bluegrass album by a woman, the first bluegrass album by a California artist and the first album on which Bill Monroe appeared as a guest artist. Monroe had been telling Rose to record some bluegrass for years, so when she encountered Don Reno and Red Smiley at a country music park, she asked them to lead her next session in Nashville. Their manager decided to risk asking the famously crusty Monroe to join, and to everyone's surprise he did without bothering to seek consent from his own label. It turned out he was available for just one day, so Donna Stoneman filled in on mandolin for the last six tunes.

The results were breathtaking. Maddox showed a natural flair for the style from the start. Her backing band, which included Tommy Jackson and Mack Magaha on fiddles was enhanced by the steel guitar of Wayne Gailey. Back then steel was taboo in bluegrass, but Gailey (a fairly obscure West Coast player) adds just the right California touch to the proceedings.

:5.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. East meets West.

californiabluegrass.org

California Bluegrass Association – Bluegrass, Old-time, and gospel music

The California Bluegrass Association is a California non-profit corporation founded in 1974, to “promote, encourage, foster, and cultivate the preservation, appreciation, understanding, enjoyment, support, and performance of bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and traditional instrumental and vocal...
californiabluegrass.org californiabluegrass.org
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Authentic Unlimited - Authentic Unlimited (April 2023)

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When Doyle Lawson finally retired from touring, three members of his Quicksilver band decided to continue under the new name Authentic Unlimited. Jerry Cole, Eli Johnston and Stephen Burwell added John Meador and Jesse Brock to the group. All are veterans of the bluegrass scene, and their first release is as solid as you would expect.

Their sound is mainstream contemporary bluegrass that owes more than a little to the clean style Doyle Lawson is well known for. As you might gather from their button down photo, these guys played it very safe here. Their target audience seems to work behind a desk rather than a plow.

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I doubt that Bill Monroe would have hawked "plug and play" USB drives. :meh:

:3.5: on the Sam-O-Meter. Competent but not very exciting.
 
Michael Cleveland - Lovin' Of The Game (June-July 2023)

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We met fiddler Michael Cleveland back in December 2019. His latest collection showcases his astonishing virtuosity with support from luminaries like Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Tim O'Brien and Vince Gill, not to mention The Travelin' McCourys. Sometimes these collaborative efforts lose focus and fall short but producer Jeff White keeps it close to the ground with tight traditional arrangements and strong song selection.

:4.0: on the Sam-O-Meter. Highly enjoyable.
 
axolotl said:
It's a wonder any business currently exists in Floyd, Virginia.

Forgotten by the railroad and interstate alike.

Not far from Poff, Tightsqueeze, and Meadows of Dan.
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They did a huge mail order business even before the internet, based in large part on a highly informative newsletter. I fear that streaming killed them. However, the Floyd Country Store seems to be alive and well.

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