Blueridge. Common Ground. submitted 1/4/2009 Submitter Chris Cooper (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Internet. Overall Comments Great album, Great pickers, Great vocals, Great songs and Tunes. Definately worth a listen. Overall Rating 8

Earl Scruggs Live At The Ryman submitted 1/3/2009 Submitter Brian Taylor (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Rounder Records site Overall Comments This one smokes! Full title: "Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends - The Ultimate Collection - Live at The Ryman". Great production, selection, etc. Just released (late 2007), this can't be beat. Overall Rating 10

Otis Taylor Recapturing the Banjo submitted 11/29/2008 Submitter poorboyslim (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased iTunes Overall Comments If you're like me, you love the blues as much as you love the banjo. I have heard banjo blues before, but not like this, and certainly not with a line-up like this. Otis Taylor, great bluesman in his own right, teams up with other greats like Keb Mo, Alvin Youngblood-Hart, Corey Harris, and a bunch of other amazing talents, and they all head into a thrilling exploration of the banjo's traditional roots. They mix in some modern twists using electricity, but this album puts a new/old spin on the blues, and showcases not only the artist's talent, but the erstwhile banjo's versatility. Overall Rating 10

Stringbean "way back in the hills of old Kentucky" submitted 11/29/2008 Submitter troy_nov1965 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased e-bay Overall Comments great banjo playing by Stringbean and fiddle accompaniment.. my favorite song on this cd is prolly "Little Sally Goodin" followed by "old Cumberland gap" . this is Stringbeans rarest vinyl lp and one of his best in my opionion ...i collect lps and only seen 3 copies of this album and the mint one went for over 350 dollars.. luckily the cd has been released along with his other starday lps on cd... so all you stringbean fans rejoice and and grab them cds the are all very moderatly priced Overall Rating 10

The SteelDrivers The SteelDrivers submitted 11/28/2008 Submitter robin jones (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased SteelDrivers.net Overall Comments Brilliant song writing. Masterful musicianship, both vocally and instrumentally. This album is a testament that bluegrass is alive and well and developing in interesting ways. The SteelDrivers' self-titled debut is an instant classic. I've only just discovered it but it ranks, hands down, as my favorite original bluegrass album ever. (All 11 tunes are original.) It's simply outstanding. I bought mine through the website at the link at the bottom of this review. If you're up for an inspiring treat, I recommend you do the same. http://www.steeldrivers.net/index.htm Overall Rating 10

William Elliot Whitmore Hymns For The Hopeless submitted 11/17/2008 Submitter poorboyslim (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased iTunes Overall Comments Whitmore can't be more than 30, but his voice is arresting. He sounds like a cancerous eighty year old who just woke up. Add to that his talent for lyrics about hard times, and his ability to play authentic "old timey" guitar and banjo music, and you have a recipe for some great listening. Overall Rating 10

Alan Munde Old Bones submitted 11/6/2008 Submitter jpoulette (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Munde's Banjo College Overall Comments Wow - what a FUN CD. Talk about a guy at the top of his game! This has some really well coordinated BG banjo on it. Definitely "the banjo player's banjo player". Alan never ceases to amaze me with his broad 5-string expertise and seemless execution at every turn. If you're looking for a real mando & banjo tune to knock your socks off - check out "Hickory Hollow" the 9th track. Thanks Alan & Co. Great review at: http://www.bluegrassjournal.com/2008/04/18/alan-munde-puts-new-spin-on-old-bones/ Overall Rating 10

Don Reno Don Reno: Founding Father Of The Bluegrass Banjo submitted 10/26/2008 Submitter robin jones (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly Online Overall Comments I'm somewhat hesitant to write this review because I know Mr. Reno is a hero to scores of banjoist. Nevertheless, it's an honest appraisal and hopefully will save somebody a little money. This is not a good album. It's unfortunate that I was introduced to Don Reno's playing through it. When I bought it I mistakenly thought it was a compilation of tunes from over the course of Mr. Reno's career. Actually all the tunes were re-recorded in the late 70s. I won't pick it apart. I'll just encourage you to invest your money in other Reno records that are representative of what this outstanding player was capable of. Since I bought this particular album I've downloaded several tunes of Mr. Reno's from the iTunes store and they are sensational. His playing on those older records lives up to and even exceeds all the accolades it has garnered. He was a monumental talent. His legacy is being done a disservice by "Founding Father Of The Bluegrass Banjo". I feel like I was ripped off, although I'm not sure by who, and am reminded of that most important of sayings in this day and age -- caveat emptor Overall Rating 3

Earl Scruggs The Essential Earl Scruggs submitted 10/26/2008 Submitter robin jones (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly Online Overall Comments For my money this is an excellent compilation. It covers decades of Earl's playing, albeit sparsely, and includes excellent liner notes by Earl himself, and a nice tribute from Bela Fleck. If you're trying to cover Earl on the cheap for your music collection you could do a lot worse than this album. Overall Rating 8

Kristin Scott Benson Second Season submitted 10/8/2008 Submitter Woolpersteve (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased IBMA , Nashville-10-4-08, from Kristin Overall Comments For all of you five string banjo hounds out there in the HO, GET THIS ALBUM ASAP! Its on Pinecastle and really hot off the presses. I bought it off this year's IBMA banjo player of the year at IBMA over the weekend. I had the pleasure of meeting her and getting a lesson at Sonny's banjo camp a couple of year's ago. She was great then as a player and teacher and if possible, she is getting better as a player.I doubt its possible but this CD is so clean , crisp has great tone , great original tunes it has to be up for honors next year . Driving home form IBMA I hit the repeat button on Bugle Call Rag maybe 6 times.If there is a better played version I haven't heard it.She stomps on that tune, flattens it out, and puts in her pocket . She owns Bugle Call Rag from this point forward. The entire recording is just perfect. Congratulations to Kristin on player -of -the -year and on putting out such a special third album! Steve Overall Rating 10

Kevin Fore Round Peak The Tradition Continues submitted 10/2/2008 Submitter oldwoodchuckb (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased From Artist Overall Comments The title of Kevin Fore’s new cd is “Round Peak The Tradition Continues” and never has an album title been more accurate. Kevin is a native of Lowgap, and is related to some of the best known Round Peak musicians. Although he is still a young man he has devoted the last decade or so of his life to playing the banjo in the tradition of Charlie Lowe, Tommy Jarrell, Dix Freeman, Fred Cockerham, and most importantly Kyle Creed. Kevin has of course integrated the playing of these and other Round Peak masters into his own style which is quick, solid and clean. His banjo dances around the fiddle line as sure as any mountain goat. I’m not the only one who has noticed the quality of Kevin’s playing. He has taken home a bunch of prizes at banjo and old time band contests. In fact, although I have known him on line for quite a while my first in-person meeting with him was at the 2008 Hoppin' John Fiddlers Convention in Shakori Hills, where Kevin took first prize in the Old Time Banjo contest. Here is a youtube video of his band playing Old Bunch Of Keys at that convention: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfeFk-TNqTc These are just some of his other awards 2005-2007 1st place banjo Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention 6 year 1st place Laurel Bloomery Tenn. Fiddlers Convention 1st place 2008 Blue Ridge Banjo Shoot Out Galax, Va. 1st place 2007 Old Time Band Galax Old fiddlers convention 1st place 2008 Old Time Band Laurel Bloomery Tenn. Fiddlers Convention 1st place 2008 Old Time Band Sparta Fiddlers Convention with Benton Flippen's Smokey Valley Boys Of course prizes aren’t important when it comes to listening and Kevin has put out a solidly entertaining album. He knows that an hour of straight instrumentals can end up sounding a bit monochromatic and has added enough vocals into the mix to keep up audience interest. Kevin sing, like he plays - completely in the tradition but also his own man. Each track on the album has also been carefully notated giving his original sources (like Creed, Freeman, and Jarrell) and noting the many Round Peak musicians who participated in making this cd. Benton Flippin, Mac Snow, Bobby Patterson, Verlin Clifton, Chester McMillian and Kirk Sutphin are names familiar to most of us who collect old time music, but there are also many younger generation players like James and Joey Burris, grandsons of Otis Burris, William Flippen, grandson of Benton. The cd is a snapshot of Round Peak today. Many of the tunes are well known and loved Round Peak favourites like “Sally Anne” and “Rockingham Cindy” but there are a few surprises like “Head Over Heels” a Fred Cockerham song, unavailable on any commercial recordings and the lesser known “Otis Burris’s Fortune” (sometimes called Up The Mountain Fortune). Kevin acknowledges his spiritual mentor Kyle Creed with “Roustabout” and even has Bobby Patterson, a frequent Creed sideman, do the guitar accompaniment. If you have any interest in the Round Peak Style this is an album you need to own. Even if your interest in RP is only marginal, this is a solid set of 19 great tunes and songs played by inspired musicians – it could change you mind and your playing. I don’t review everything, preferring to save my efforts for exceptional recordings – and this is one of those exceptional recordings you need to hear. Kevin also builds banjos – in the style of Kyle Creed, of course. He informs me that on his website he is slowly adding pictures and stories about the Round Peakers who have now passed on. Visit his website at: http://www.roundpeakbanjos.com Overall Rating 9

Alan Munde Banjo Sandwich submitted 8/25/2008 Submitter robin jones (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly web site Overall Comments A savory treat from beginning to end. Alan's playing is spectacular, as is the sound of the Stelling he plays. I don't know if it's Munde's masterpiece but it's a masterpiece. It's as fresh today as when I first heard it some 30 years ago. If you want to learn some cool tunes and killer chops get the album, get the tab, and go to work. Overall Rating 10

Martin Fox & Jeff Winegar The Way It Was submitted 6/13/2008 Submitter oldwoodchuckb (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Elderly Instruments Overall Comments Martin Fox & Jeff Winegar - The Way It Was http://cdbaby.com/cd/foxwinegar I find fiddle/banjo duets more fun than playing in a full stringband, but they are also considerably more stressful in front of an audience - and recording brings it to a whole new level of tension. Without a guitar to broaden the sound, every note from both instruments can be clearly heard. The smallest mistake will stand out like a gorilla at a cocktail party. There is simply no place to hide. Duets are also harder than soloing. Playing alone, you can slip in a couple extra beats if you need them or cover a goof by adjusting something else it all comes out right in the end. Playing with another musician you must to stay with the program or you Both end up falling flat on your faces. When a duet works well however, the combination of old time fiddle and clawhammer banjo is pure bliss. The instruments were born to be together – especially when two consummate musicians like Jeff Winegar and Martin Fox are doing the playing. These are superbly tight duets in a very modern, yet completely old time, style. Winegar’s banjo makes elegant arabesques around Fox’s rich fiddle lines which are in turn twisting back on the banjo. The level of “interactivity” is stunning throughout the program. Most of the tracks are tunes that have not been recorded too often, so it is not only a good listening record, but also good for the musician or band out to build repertoire. The key and fiddle tuning are given for every track. Oddly enough the banjo tunings are not, but everything I’ve tried seems to work well in the tuning I normally use for the given key. While every track on the album is excellent there are a couple I want to point up as especially neat and/or challenging. My wife and I have been having a lot of fun with “Highlander’s Farewell”, and “Moonlight” which are both pretty straightforward but she has also learned the aptly named “Horse and Buggy-O”. The tune is very crooked and I can only catch on to it after about a dozen times through. The tune called “Rocky Road To Dublin” on this record is not the well known Irish jig but a modal melody from an Edison cylinder recording by Allen Sisson, who was a Civil War veteran. Now THAT really is “old” time music. Overall Rating 9

Dailey & Vincent Dailey & VIncent (Rounder) submitted 5/31/2008 Submitter BanjoDiva (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments This duo is incredible. Their new CD "Dailey & Vincent" (Rounder) is number one on this week's Bluegrass Unlimited chart and with good reason. They play a traditional style of Bluegrass with fantastic high, tight harmonies reminiscent of the brother duets of the past Bluegrass generations. The album consists of 12 tracks, three of which are sacred/gospel. Eighteen year old Joe Dean picks a mean banjer on this CD. Jamie Dailey was most recently the lead tenor with Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Darrin Vincent is Rhonda Vincent's brother and was most recently with Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. There is a great story on them in this month's issue of BU. I won't be surprised if this one is IBMA's Bluegrass Album of the Year for 2008. A must own. Overall Rating 10

Allen Shelton Shelton Special submitted 5/25/2008 Submitter BanjerJeff (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments Very good banjo record. If you wanna listen to something other than the same standards over and over you need to give this one a shot. It'll stay in your music rotation. I think this is a must to a banjo players collection. Overall Rating 9

Infamous Stringdusters Infmaous Stringdusters submitted 5/21/2008 Submitter TedLehmann (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Overall Comments The Infamous Stringdusters new CD will be released on June 10th. My blog (www.tedlehmann.blogspot.com) has a review today. This disk demonstrates that the Stringdusters are moving their music forward, keeping it both accessible and challenging. It's a welcome addition to their work. - Ted Overall Rating 10

Alan Munde Festival Favorites Revisited submitted 5/19/2008 Submitter BanjerJeff (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Amazon.com Overall Comments Very good banjo album with a ton of classics. You also can order the tab book that is available for each song. Overall Rating 8

Tony Trischka Territory submitted 4/13/2008 Submitter The Josh (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Sorefingers summer school Overall Comments This is a incredible album it shows people what really can be done with a banjo it features other talented banjo players like Pete and Mike Seeger, Bill Evans, Bill Keith, Bruce Molsky and other guest artists. The tunes played on the album are in all sorts of funky tunings and also has Tony playing gouda banjo and a one of a kind slide banjo. This cd also has Pete Seeger singing and Mike seeger on a harmonica. There is only one thing wrong with this album would be that the singing is not to good on track ten although I must admit its grown on me. Overall Rating 9

The .357 Sting Band Ghost Town submitted 3/13/2008 Submitter bobb62 (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased itunes Overall Comments They call their music "streetgrass". Great banjo, mandolin, upright bass, and guitar. It is a nice modern twist to bluegrass. They look like bikers and sound like hillbillies! If you want to buy just one song to check them out start with Stillest Hour. *It won't let me in to edit the name of the band, it is String not Sting Overall Rating 9

Swamptrash It Makes No Never Mind submitted 3/10/2008 Submitter SkaStan (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments This Lp is a bit of a rarity. I managed to track a copy down recently for $80, the only other one I've seen was $200 on ebay. Swamptrash hailed from Edinburgh Scotland and after starting off busking the streets of Edinburgh in the mid eighties soon cultivated a cult following from their raucus gigs throughout Scotland. The LP was released 1989. A wild cajun/bluegrass/psycobilly mix of originals like Square Ass Sheriffs and Mamas In The Kitchen as well as classics Ring Of Fire and Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the Album may not be to the taste of the more traditionalists, but if you like your bluegrass a little on the wildside, try to hunt a copy down. To check out all things Swamptrash, http://www.lazypict.thehighlands.co.uk/acidcroft/acidcrofthistory.htm is a good place to start. The band sadly split soon after its release, some members went on to form Shooglenifty who have released many albums and still play out to this day. Swamptrash were my first intoduction to the magical sound of the banjo for which I will be eternally greatful. Overall Rating 10

Mountain Therapy (Tim Custer) Natural Blend and Looking Back submitted 2/19/2008 Submitter Bart Veerman (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Tim Custer direct Overall Comments Mountain Therapy “Package in the mail for you.” I opened the big envelope that Tim Custer so kindly had sent me. The two Mountain Therapy CD's in it quickly found their way to the DVD player, I had heard a couple of Tim's tracks on his Hangout homepage earlier so I knew I'd be in for a treat. After the first few seconds it became clear that “treat” was an understatement because the first thing that hit me: the tracks were not simply “please-let-us-get-through-them” renditions; these were complete arrangements bonding a group of top notch musicians into a unison you don't often get to experience. The first CD I played was Mountain Therapy, Natural Blend. Lonnie Wellman provides a solid and tasteful guitar with just the right accents at the right places to spice up the rhythm. Marsha Wellman sees to it that the bass goes can do more than boom chicke boom. Wes Homner delivered beautiful and melodious sounds on the mandolin. Tim Custer's banjo playing was all over the place: happy, exiting, sad, sparky, dreamy and anywhere in between and then some. Vocals, simple, all of them sing. Marsha Wellman does an outstanding job. Highlights of Natural Blend to me were He Rode All the Way to Texas, Stolen Identity and Blood Stained Trail. The second CD, Looking Back, featured Mark Miracle on the mandolin and his Jump and Stumble tune is sure to stump and fumble those trying to learn play this great instrumental. As a proper banjoey I was of course looking forward to Tim Custer's break in answer to Mark's challenge. Murmers of amazement, talk about banjo playing. Yeah, OK, so Tim, I'm going to need to a picture of your hands cause as near as I can tell you must have at least seven fingers on each. . . Highlights, besides Jump and Stumble - My Heart's Bouquet, Over the Rainbow and – heck with it, both CD's, they're all highlights. All in all, tastefully real bluegrass. Check Tim Custer's Hangout page to listen to his music files and to find out how/where to order your own copies: http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/home.asp?id=5887 Overall Rating 10

The Lewis Family 50th Anniversary submitted 2/18/2008 Submitter banjerboy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Lewis Family Website Overall Comments This is the best recording by the Lewis Family. Not only does it have new recordings on it, but it also has their older recordings on it too. There is a recording on this album with Little Roy singing when he was a little kid and I think it is very astounding. This album proves that they really are the "First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music." Overall Rating 10

The Lewis Family One Rose submitted 2/18/2008 Submitter banjerboy (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Lewis Family Website Overall Comments This is one of the really good new albums by the Lewis Family. The tribute to their father which they sing is a very moving tribute. This album shows they still have great energy after 56 years of playing music. Overall Rating 9

Hunter Robertson Sings Songs for the Masses submitted 2/13/2008 Submitter Yopparai (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Online Overall Comments Banjos are capable of a wide range of styles and moods and I enjoy them all - but the thing that will grab me every time is a haunting melody supported by a banjo that is full of conviction and growl. With a range of old time clawhammer and finger styles and low gravelly vocals, Hunter Robertson Sings Songs for the Masses fills my need for moving, haunting banjo perfectly. The songs have the feeling of old field recordings in that most are one take tunes without the sterile touch of heavy post production mixing and over dubbing. Just Hunter, his instrument, and his voice. His version of "Redwing" is the first, and only, that I have heard that matches the mood of the music with the subject of the lyrics, and it changed forever how I think of the song. "You Gonna Need Somebody on Your Bond" breaks out the slide and demonstrates that the banjo can sing the blues with the best of them. Throw in some gut-stringed fretless, a little 12-stringed guitar, and a smattering of kazoo and opus and the result is a great CD that breaks a lot of people's idea of what "banjo music" is. More information and sample tracks: http://hunterrobertson.com/harkframe.html Overall Rating 10

Flatt & Scruggs Foggy Mountain Banjo submitted 2/5/2008 Submitter tomeloph (see all reviews from this person) Where Purchased Bluegrass concert Overall Comments Great cd. I love that it's all instrumental. And boy can those two play! None of the songs really stick out as the one "good" song and the rest fall short... rather, they are all solid performances! Overall Rating 8