THIS REVIEW IS RATHER strange both for me as reviewer and for you as readers because you cannot buy it in the stores! It is a promotional CD put out by the IBMA as a compilation of the showcase acts at the 1998 Bluegrass trade show in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.

It came to me via my Luthier friend Jiri Lebeda who attended the event as guest of Geoff Stelling as he now has a successful collaboration making Mandolins for the famous Banjo Builder. The artists are offered on the CD to give an insight into the new and emerging artists in the States.

The songs and artists:- Sounds of the Mountains- Ramblers Choice; Cherry Blossoms in the Spring - Jeanette Williams; The Vow - McPeak Bros; Listening to the Rain - Pam Gadd; Jenny Dear - The ChapmanFamily; Red Clay Halo - Valerie Smith; Tennessee Mountain Home - Lost Highway; Many Mansions - Sharon Cort and New River Ranch; Alabama Bound - The Kruger Bros; Who’s Crying For You Now - Stevens Sisters; Home - The Tews

At first sight it is obvious that some of the artists come into the category of “never heard of them,” with the exception of The McPeak Bros and recent UK visitor Sharon Cort.

Track one puts you in the Bluegrass mood straight away with great instrumental picking and authentic tenor singing. A breakdown of the pickers and singers is not included on the CD cover; maybe done purposely so as not to detract from the object of the presentation of the group, but all the instrumentation is first class.

Five of the tracks are by female singers with impressive performances to boost the case of the Ladies of Bluegrass. Pam Gadd provides a driving song with tasty instrumentation including dobro. Fans of Gillian Welsh will like the rendition of Red Clay Halo by Valerie Smith. Pick of the ladies has to be Sharon Cort with Many Mansions which is not the most dynamic but has a great deal of feeling, with soulful singing of the highest order. The Stevens Sisters (who could well be Dolly Parton’s sisters - they sound like her) would be well worth seeing by the way they perform.

Jenny Dear by the Chapman Family has for me the best vocal impact with mountain music in true authentic style, even though it is a slow song.

If I were to criticise it would be to say two or three tracks have found themselves among better company (polite comment!) Track 7 Tennessee Mountain Home by California band Lost Highway is well played but the singing is like a “Tesco economy white loaf”, track 9 appears to be the obligatory overseas inclusion with Swiss band Kruger Bros playing some fancy twiddley bits on the banjo but the singing has you anxiously awaiting the next track (unless you can get to the controls first!) I’m sure the final track by The Tews must be in there by mistake - it would be better suited to be background music at an All-American “At Home wedding” - very twee and not a Bluegrass number in my opinion.

Summing up: quite a good insight to some more US talent but just enough to prove that everything Bluegrass from stateside isn’t the bees knees and it might save having to buy 11 CDs you may not like. If you wanted a copy you may be able to get one direct from the IBMA at 207 E.Second Street, Owensboro KY 42303

Arthur Robinson, Scarborough

6th Sept 1999