There is something about bluegrass musicians that does not allow for poor singing, playing that is out of tune, or low quality recordings that are muffled or otherwise badly produced. Receiving many country CDs in the post, some are so poor musically that I wonder why people have spent their hard earned cash to produce and send them out. Funny; but even the most obscure of Bluegrass bands who've sent their product to me are of top-class musically and very well produced and have never fallen into this catagory.

I had not heard of The Just Bluegrass Band untill Marc Baum program director and host Blades Of Blue The Homegrown Bluegrass Show www.greenmountainmusic.com approached me. Believing that this CD would be of interest to me and for airplay on my own radio show…how right he was!!! The Just Bluegrass Band and their CD Time is 'Just' a teasing bluegrass treasure that combines finely selected covers with original numbers. To go to the last track first; if I may be excused for this anomaly, their racing version of the Jerry Lee Lewis classic "Great Balls Of Fire" only goes to prove how an imaginative band can blend ass-kicking rock 'n' roll with the traditional bluegrass formula.

The Just Bluegrass band is made up of Lee Surgener guitar - vocals; Jeff Blankenship banjo - baritone; Andy Crabtree dobro - vocals; Don Long upright bass and Kevin Crabtree mandolin - fiddle - vocals. The Just Bluegrass Band from Ohio was formed in the fall of 2001 and took the bluegrass circuit by storm in Ohio during 2003. They have shared billing with such acts as, Sam Bush, Tony Trishka, Larry Cordle (writer of "Murder On Music Row"), and country music artists, Confederate Railroad and Marty Stewart. The album sets off at a rapid pace with two of the band's own composition "Three Little Things" (Mike Martin/Lee Surgener) and the title track "Time" written by Surgener who's name is related to the writing or co-writing five of the tracks contained here; the other three being the swirling "Your Love Is Like A Hurricane", the emotive "Someday" and the tantalizing "A Kid's Life". Jeff Blankenship contributes a fine banjo driven instrumental with "Rivers Edge".

We are also treated to some fine interpretations of well-known covers such as Bill Monroe's classic "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and "Wheel Hoss". Martha Ellis' "I'm Not Broke But Badly Bent" gets a 1st class arrangement with fine playing and phrasing, as does J.R. Baxter Jnr/W.B. Stevens' "Father Along". 13 tracks in all offer an album that is impelled forward with an exquisite magical delivery. Don't let this one pass you by! Check out the band's own website at http://www.justbluegrass.com

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

16 March 2004