Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum

Today marks the release date of Skippin’ and Flyin’ from Laurie Lewis (Spruce and Maple Music). Yes, this is yet another Bill Monroe tribute record on the 100th anniversary of his birth. God knows there were enough of those this year (and every year, in the humble opinion of ole Fiddlefreak). The Father of Bluegrass continues to spawn oodles of traditional bluegrass bands that adhere strictly to his original formula, and even his repertoire. But not Laurie. With her musical partner Tom Rozum, she has established her own smooth-yet-rootsy style that integrates West Coast bluegrass, folk, swing, old-time country and her earth-friendly originals. Kinda like Bill Monroe did.

Says Laurie: “It’s an ongoing thread in my musical life. I fell in love not just with the music, but with the vehicle for the music. I just love a string band,” she adds with a laugh. “A string band of versatile players can do just about anything — they can follow me just about wherever I want to go.”

LISTEN: Carter’s Blues

LISTEN: A Lonesome Road

Skippin’ and Flyin’ is an amazing and satisfying listen, chock full of bluegrass classics as well as little-known chestnuts that deserve the exposure. The album’s title comes from Old Ten Broeck, a signature Bill Monroe piece that Laurie reworked from various sources, and the opening track. Extensive liner notes reveal an essay from Laurie on her inspiration for this project, as well as lyrics and some surprising guest appearances (from Linda Ronstadt to Nadine Landry of Foghorn fame). With sources that include Flatt and Scruggs, Jimmy Rodgers, Maybelle Carter, Utah Phillips, Bill Monroe, and herself, she has produced a fine bluegrass record by inspiring top shelf string players to a new level. Kinda like Bill Monroe did.

Laurie Lewis Website

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Jason and Pharis Romero

Jason Romero first came to my attention through his artisan banjos, and Pharis through her membership in her oldtime band Outlaw Social Club. After stints in Chico and Arcata, CA, Jason migrated northward though Portland and settled with Pharis in the remote outpost of Horsefly, BC, where they create beautiful instruments and music. Their previous releases include Shout Monah from The Haints Oldtime Stringband and Back Up and Push, an ambitious collection of fiddle tunes from sawyers all over the West Coast, previously reviewed here.

Chris Mateer just published an in-depth interview with the couple on his blog Uprooted Music Review. From that interview:

‘We didn’t really plan out complementary tunes on the album, but we both seem to have a sense of songs that needed learning or writing to fill what might have been otherwise a gap. A good example would be “My Flowers, My Companions, and Me” — that was the last song we learned before we recorded the album, because we realized that a vocal duet with just banjo accompaniment would be a great contrast to much of the other material.’

A Passing Glimpse

Here’s that song, and another. Hope you enjoy this listen!

LISTEN: My Flowers, My Companions, and Me

LISTEN: Where Is the Gamblin’ Man?

Pharis and Jason Romero Website

UMR Interview

Coty Hogue

Thanks to Hearth Music for sending me the new record from rising star Coty Hogue of Bellingham, WA. Her new release To the West charted #1 on the Folk-DJ chart in June, for good reason. Coty Hogue sings a lovely, sultry blend of old-time Americana and contemporary songs that connect to the old strain. Her strong, clear voice is certainly the finest example of the American folk tradition right now. Recommended!

To the West

LISTEN: Going to the West

LISTEN: Sugar Moon

Coty Hogue Website

Nettle Honey

Wild Greens and the Old Path

Here’s another band we heard and met at NW Folklife. Nettle Honey is an old-time quartet from Seattle, WA that plays equal parts classic standards and original compositions. Their sound is as pure as the Northwest rain that falls on her mist-shrouded mountains and fills her roaring rivers. They’ve taken pure-core Appalachian chops and applied them to Northwestern themes of nature and the land, with wonderful results. Their DIY CD Wild Greens and the Old Path takes its homemade aesthetic to a minimum, utilizing a simple brown paper sandwich bag as its package. The tracks are equally split between band originals (Wild Greens) and old-timey chestnuts (The Old Path). Fiddler Brittany Newell leads the band with her solid old-school sawing, and Johnny Fitzpatrick swaps between clawhammer and three-finger banjo with ease. Rock-solid rhythm comes from Colin Sterling (guitar) and Robert Fulwiler (bass fiddle).  Nettle Honey is a band to watch as they expand their touring schedule outside their Seattle base. Fiddlefreak recommended!

LISTEN: Chilly Winds

LISTEN: Follow the River

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The Twilite Broadcasters

Welcome to the second installment of my ongoing mini-series on old-time mandolin duets. I’m reviewing new releases that feature mandolin and guitar duos performing vintage pieces from the golden era of brother duets (ie. Monroe Brothers, the Louvin Brothers, Blue Sky Boys). This week’s post references “Evening Shade,” the latest release from the Twilite Broadcasters (Adam Tanner on vocals, mandolin, and fiddle, and Mark Jackson on vocals and guitar).

Evening Shade delivers just the right mix of old-time country, early bluegrass, and even a couple fiddle tunes. With a dash of reverb in the mix, the sound at times invokes the Everly Brothers and hints at the connections between bluegrass and early rockabilly, even though the songs remain ever faithful to the brother-duet formula: Gibson mandolin, small-body flattop box, and close harmony. Here are two cuts from “Evening Shade.” Enjoy!

Evening Shade

LISTEN: Long Time Gone

LISTEN: Salt River

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The Twilite Broadcasters from Adam Tanner on Vimeo.