Many thanks to Devon at Hearth Music for turning me on to the third album from Calahen Morrison and Eli West. We heartily recommended their first two releases, and this one raises the bar. I’ll Swing My Hammer with Both Hands is the fruit of veteran guidance from producer Tim O’Brien and contributions from crack fiddlers Brittany Haas and Ryan Drickey. It benefits from a balance of original music with old gospel and country material, both songs and instrumentals.
This album shines with the vitality of youth, the poetry of the wide open West, and the down-home fun of mountain music. Bruce Molsky, Tim O’Brien, and other top artists have endorsed these boys. I hope this is where acoustic American bluegrass is going in the 21st century. Because sometimes, in some hands, it feels a bit stale. Oops–did I say that out loud?
LISTEN: Livin’ In America
LISTEN: Down in the Lonesome Draw
This is fun
Uprooted Music Revue just posted an in-depth interview with Cahalen and Eli here: http://bit.ly/1f5Cnd2