By Graham Lees

No number

We've had bluegrass, newgrass and now we have soulgrass. This five-piece band suitably mixes bluegrass with a touch of R&B and soul music. Debbie Heavers takes the lead vocals for the greater part with her husband David Foster aiding and abetting. Joe Larson adds stirring ringing banjo and harmonica, while Joel Whittinghill is an ace on fiddle and mandolin.

Renowned Dobro player Curtis Burch co-produced the album at Bill VornDick's Mountain Studio in Nashville. Curtis has a long pedigree in bluegrass, teaming up with Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson and John Cowan to form New Grass Revival in the 1970's. He toured with some of the most respected names in country and American traditional music including Willie Nelson and John Hartford. Curtis has performed with one of the most prominent of Dobro players...Jerry Douglas' "The Great Dobro Sessions" which received a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Instrumental. More recently Curtis' and Norman Blake's recording of "You Are My Sunshine" is found on the soundtrack of O Brother Where Art Thou.

Soulgrass has a wide selection of self-penned material by Debbie Heavers, interspersed by an eclectic range of fine covers. The album kicks off with the lovely melodic sounds of Tony Hatch's "Downtown", a Grammy winner for Petula Clark in 1964. The Beatles "Help" is given an exciting acoustic charm and Soulgrass put some zing into the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back". Leon Jackson's more traditional "Love Please Come Home" was recorded by the Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe, here Soulgrass opens up with a slow bluesy start, before picking up to a medium tempo.

A fast moving version of Stevie Windwood's "Gimme Some Lovin" is the second single to be released to radio, with Debbie's own "You Didn't Come Home" being released earlier this year (2002). Debbie's sweet vocals sweep through your senses with her own plaintive "A Cold Wind Blows" and "You Call This Love" is a song of the heart, telling of lies and deceit. The album finally closes with another of Debbie's own superior numbers "I Can't Stop The Rain".

Soulgrass had my feet tapping from the very start. A well produced and recorded album, this self-titled CD is a breath of clear, mountain air. Not quite your usual bluegrass fare, Soulgrass stands above the standard bluegrass fodder.

Available from www.soulgrass.com

Graham Lees, Dewesbury, W.Yorks Write to | Website

2 Jan 2003