The Bluegrass Sessions

The Bluegrass Sessions

ASIN: B0009Q0EZQ

Track Listings

1. What a Man My Man Is

2. Rocky Top

3. How Can I Unlove You

4. Rose Garden

5. Paradise

6. That's a No No

7. Under the Boardwalk

8. Ride Ride Ride

9. If I Kiss You

10. Top of the World

11. Big Girls Don't Cry

12. Worst Is Yet to Come

13. Cry

Tracks:

Talk on Indolence
Pretty Girl from Feltre
Colorshow
Distraction #74
Sixteen in July
Left on Laura, Left on Lisa
A Lover Like You
Pretend Love
Matrimony
The Lowering (A Sad Day In Greenvilletown)
The Fall
Dancing Daze
Famous Flower of Manhattan
40 East
Gimmeakiss
Denouncing November Blue (Uneasy Writer)
Four Thieves Gone

Customer Reviews:

Unamused..........2007-06-24

I reviewed this album at the request of a family member. In summary, it has most of the instruments of Don Williams with absolutely none of his beautiful vocals. True music lovers will realize that energy alone does not make beautiful music, just empty entertainment.

Take an old moldy garage and throw in Chrissy Hynde, Rammstein, George Strait, and the Ramones all at their worst and you have these guys. They sound like Clash wannabees with a banjo.

An Instant Classic.......2007-06-11

Yes, no recording can capture the feel of their live performances (especially outdoor performances) but this CD is nothing less than classic. Almost every song is memorable as the more you listen to it, the more and more you come to appreciate just what this CD accomplishes. It is very difficult to pin down their sound (they won't do it), but I would describe it as a mix of punk rock and folk. They are now officially my favorite group and this is my favorite CD of theirs.

The kind of music I've been waiting to find..........2007-05-20

Beautiful lyrics with real feeling... You can tell they put so much heart into it. It's a fantastic album with beautiful, lyrical slow songs and upbeat foot-stompin' songs that you can't help but dance with. Also highly recommend their new album, EMOTIONALISM.

not so hot.......2007-05-12

I saw these guys at an art festival in Alabama last year. I'm all for high energy and making old sounds new, but these guys just seemed like hipsters playing really loud and without much substance. "Hey, I have an idea - punk rock on a banjo!" Wow, that's a new one. You need to have something more than that to make interesting music. This album seems a tad more subtle than their live show, but not much.

Not What I Expected.......2007-05-11

I discovered the Avett Brothers reading an article on Ramseur Records. In doing further research, I discovered the Avett brothers were former guitar students of a good friend and the Avett family are friends with he and his wife. "Four Thieves Gone" was more or less a random pick of their albums. I read the Avett Brothers had a popular stage performance and played a rock'n bluegrass so I was expecting music more akin to something like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. I have not listened to the band's other albums or a performance. But I didn't hear anything in this albums that would fit the stage performance image in the article. "Four Thieves Gone" may have been an studio experiment for the Avett Brothers....something like the Beattles' White Album was for the Beattles. I enjoy the album quite a bit but I am not sure fans of modern day bluegrass or even rock will agree.

Average customer rating:

One of the best crossover albums of all time
The Telluride Sessions (Strength In Numbers)
Bluegrass a little less blue
As fresh as ever
Acoustic fire!

The Telluride Sessions
Strength in Numbers
Manufacturer: Mca Nashville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2
Appalachian Journey

ASIN: B000006EJJ
Release Date: 1998-03-24

Tracks:

Future Man
Texas Red
Pink Flamingos
Duke And Cookie
One Winter's Night
Macedonia
The Lochs Of Dread
No Apologies
Slopes
Blue Men Of The Sahara

Amazon.com essential recording

This acoustic supergroup joined forces in the summer of 1988, and the result was a true landmark in "new acoustic" music. As if bluegrass (and even "newgrass") was too constricting, the quintet--Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Bela Fleck (banjo), Mark O'Connor (violin), and Edgar Meyer (bass)--incorporates classical-style themes and arrangements within the context of bluegrass instrumentation. Their unbelievable technique and musical ability was never in question; however, what makes the album special is the uncanny blend of precision and freedom, of improvisation and structure. Each of the 10 compositions were written by a different twosome (do the math permutations). Playful bluesy lopes ("Pink Flamingo") accompany tinges of reggae ("The Locks of Dread"), Celtic ("Macedonia"), and Middle Eastern ("Blue Men of the Sahara") music. There are urgent burners, somber mood pieces, and tender ballads, all delivered with grace. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

One of the best crossover albums of all time.......2007-03-08

The incredible chemistry of this ensemble of string wizards mixes bluegrass sounds with every other genre in a way not yet duplicated. Unreal. You must have this CD.

The Telluride Sessions (Strength In Numbers).......2007-01-12

I first heard the group "Strength In Numbers" years ago on a show called Lone Pine Special. The entire band was phenomenal. It took bluegrass in a whole new and exciting direction. Each player is amazing in his own right as well as mixing beautifully with the other players. Most of this music is what I consider a bluegrass jazz fusion. This is a wonderful CD to include in an otherwise standard collection of traditional bluegrass. The virtuosity of each of these musicians is mindboggling. Some of the cuts make you want to jump up and dance while others cause you to pause, intently listen, and examine the musical techniques presented. Being a banjo and guitar player myself, it was a real joy to listen to such prolific musicianship. I found myself challenged and awed by this CD. I highly recommend this CD.

Bluegrass a little less blue.......2006-12-13

Bluegrass remains in many ways a music that holds its devotees close but perhaps offers less to the uninitiated or to those for whom the insistance on rigorous adherence to some predefined bluegrass standard seems a bit self-involved. Often times reverence towards tradition and outright musical athleticism get in the way of what is at the core a very strong musical message. This CD is one that easily reaches across boundaries and, with bluegrass sensibilities intact but not binding, presents contemporary acoustic country at its best. The musicians present are all masters of their instruments and all have worked together and known each other for years. The music they produce seems almost effortless but at the same time conveys no sense of sloppiness or lack of professionalism. There is a clear musical statement here coupled with a strong feeling so that the musicianship serves an end rather than just becoming an end in itself. Standouts include One Winter's Night, Blue Men of the Sahara, and the wonderful mandolin duet on Macedonia featuring Sam Bush and reminding us that Mark O'Connor can play anything. For the bluegrass traditionalist, the music may seem heresy. For the rest of us, this is a wonderful recording suitable for repeated listening. Definitely not for bluegrass fans only.

As fresh as ever.......2006-09-07

I just bought it; 17 years after its release. Not that that should matter as I have purchased jazz recordings from the fifties. This CD is my first introduction to bluegrass or newgrass or whatever grass. I agree with some of the reviewers that this music is beyond classification. I don't think it gets any better than this. I love the melodies, the harmonies, musicianship and the quality of the recording. I listen to it at home and in the car. There are some world influences in couple of numbers. By the way, "Macedonia" has a Balkan tint to it, not celtic. Inspired by this CD I started tracking the recording of individual artists involved as the group represented a "summit" of sorts. Next thing I will be moving to the Appalachian Mountains.

Acoustic fire!.......2005-12-25

It all started when my friend Ashley used "Macedonia" (track six) to demonstrate the quality of his JBL iPod speaker ring. Never having listened to bluegrass before, I asked what kind of music it was and he said it is beyond classification. So I listened to "Slopes" and got the kind of euphoric rush you get when you're having a sports-related high or the ecstatic sensation of moving at great speed.
No matter what you think of bluegrass or banjos, anyone who takes delight in music that is intricate, brilliant, sensuous and evocative, will find much to love about this album. Jazz fans will appreciate the Pat Metheny undertones and harmonies in tracks like "One Winter's Night." I would be first in line for any new project by this line-up of virtuoso musicians. What a joy to listen to flawless musical jamming!

The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2

Average customer rating:

This is one of my favorit Bela Fleck records!
A Rarity...
Hair Raising
Outstanding CD!
If I could recommend only one CD to anyone, this would be it.

The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2
Béla Fleck
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

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Tales From the Acoustic Planet
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ASIN: B00000JC6D
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Blue Mountain Hop
Buffalo Nickel
When Joy Kills Sorrow
Spanish Point
Polka On The Banjo
Clarinet Polka
The Over Grown Waltz
Ode To Earl
Home Sweet Home
Valley Of The Rogue
Plunkey's Lament
Maura On A Bicycle, Stout And Molasses, Way Back When
Dark Circles
Old Jellico, Puddle Jumper, Dead Man's Hill
Katmandu
Do You Have Room?
Foggy Mountain Special
Major Honker

Amazon.com's Best of 1999

In a jaw-dropping return to his roots, banjoist Béla Fleck led a stellar lineup (Jerry Douglas, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, and Sam Bush, to name a few) through one of his finest albums. With incredible musicianship and a smidgen of Fleck's genre-hopping personality ("Polka On The Banjo"), The Bluegrass Sessions is fun, nostalgic, and inspiring. --Jason Verlinde

Amazon.com essential recording

Béla Fleck, the banjo-wizard leader of the fringe-jazz quartet the Flecktones, returns to more-bluegrass-oriented concerns with this 18-song outing, a complement to 1988's Drive and a more-traditional follow-up to 1995's fusion-leaning Tales from the Acoustic Planet. Most of these songs are instrumentals boasting Drive's core group of Sam Bush on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Tony Rice on guitar, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, and bassist Mark Schatz; they're augmented in spots by fine guest players such as Vassar Clements, John Hartford, and the incomparable banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs. Fleck's spidery, tasteful plucking style lends originals like "Major Honker" and "Katmandu" an ever-so-slightly offbeat air, while he gives classics like Scruggs's "Foggy Mountain Special" and "Polka on the Banjo" traditional readings that wouldn't be out of place at the Opry. Flecktones fans will find much to like in Fleck's rootsy playing, and so will bluegrass purists. --Gregory McNamee

Customer Reviews:

This is one of my favorit Bela Fleck records!.......2007-01-10

I love this CD, i think it is one of the best bluegrass collections Bela has produced, with a host of different styles and artists.

A Rarity..........2006-07-19

It's rare when a sequel exceeds the original. This album, though, exceeds the first "Acoustic Planet" effort by Fleck.

Why? Well, the playing is better technically, if you can believe that. And the energy and drive is stronger here than in Acoustic Planet 1.

You also get treated to a greater number of original compositions on this CD. I've come to appreciate this dimension of Fleck's artistic gifts even more as time has passed. While he does do a lot of variations on derivative music, his original compositions are memorable, too.

Hair Raising.......2006-04-12

I've had this album for two years now and it still sometimes makes my hair stand on end when I listen to it and I don't even consider myself a SERIOUS bluegrass fan. Absolutely amazing!

Outstanding CD!.......2006-02-25

Bela Fleck is arguably the premeir banjo player in the world and he does not disappoint on this CD. His music and that of the musicians he has gathered to play with him is superb. If your feet aren't tapping to the music in short order, then you probably have a few disconnnected nerves leading to them.

If you enjoy Americana/Bluegrass/Country, then you'll love this CD!

If I could recommend only one CD to anyone, this would be it........2005-11-20

This is the CD that was singlehandedly responsible for revealing my long-hidden love of bluegrass music to me. I can listen to it in any season or mood and at any time of day. Each performer on the CD has moved beyond mastery of his instrument to fusion with it, and the results are incredible to hear. My favorite track on the CD is "Buffalo Nickel," which combines a gorgeous wistful melody with a constantly shifting meter and an undercurrent of satisfaction. Other favorites include the rollicking opening track of "Blue Mountain Hop," the well-titled "When Joy Kills Sorrow," the lullaby favorite "The Over Grown Waltz," the deliciously fast ending track "Major Honker"...well, who am I kidding? The entire CD is amazing. It gets my highest recommendation. Don't waver. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.

Average customer rating:

They forgot one!
Worn Thin
Music at its best!
It opened my eyes to a whole new way to play guitar
Great music for guitar lovers to discover!

Great Dobro Sessions
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Sugarhill [Country]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000000EYC
Release Date: 1994-09-18

Tracks:

Fireball Mail - Oswald Kirby/Josh Graves/Mike Auldridge/Curtis Burch/Jerry Douglas/Rob Ickes/Stacy Phillips/Tut...
Dobro Chimes - Oswald Kirby
Just Joshin' - Josh Graves
Poison Love - Gene Wooten
Birdland - Jerry Douglas
Wave - Mike Auldridge
The Last Rose Of Autumn - Stacy Phillips
Rainbow Bridge - Curtis Burch
Great Season Waltz - Sally Van Meter
Scrapin' The Barrel - Rob Ickes
Little Green Pill #2 - Tut Taylor
Day Tripper - Gene Wooten
Flatt Lonesome - Josh Graves
Abiline Gal - Jerry Douglas
McHattie's Waltz - Rob Ickes
Ace Of Spades - Stacy Phillips
Suitcase - Curtis Burch
Cherokee Shuffle - Sally Van Meter
Lonesome Dobro - Tut Taylor
Wake Forest - Mike Auldridge
End Of The World - Oswald Kirby

Customer Reviews:

They forgot one!.......2007-03-08

How could they not feature Frank Poindexter. He is the greatest dobro player out there.

Worn Thin.......2006-08-05

If it's possible to wear out a CD as we used to with vinyl, then I have already taken several layers off this one. I never tire of the varieties of dobro playing on this one. It was my daily companion for a 2 hour commute for 4 years! It will open your interests to many of the great players of this under-appreciated instrument.

Music at its best!.......2003-10-05

Great instrumental project! Most of the Dobro "Celebrities" are on this album, the great old players like Josh Graves and Mike Auldridge as well as the young players like Gene Wooten and Sally Van Meter. They all have one thing in common - extraordinary musicianship. The danger with instrumentaö projects featuring the same instrument is always that it gets boring after awhile, but not here. There are so many different ways to play, also the song selection, from traditional fast-paced bluegrass to modern sounds, everything is here and the Dobro really fits for the complete musical spectrum. I really enjoyed this album!

It opened my eyes to a whole new way to play guitar.......2003-01-29

This CD is a must for country or bluegrass music fans. It features 21 tracks of great dobro guitar accompanied by fiddle, banjo and sometimes mandolin. If you are like me and have never really gave dobro music a whole lot of thought, you will be pleasantly surprised. I think I could become hooked.

Great music for guitar lovers to discover!.......2000-12-03

An amazing album for those who love guitar music and like all types of music. The artists collected for the album provided a wide range of music for our enjoyment. The dobro can be hauntingly sad or chime its notes in a joyful expression of the player's mood. I had not heard the dobro played except for bluegrass music until I bought this album a couple of years ago. The musicians who have been around a long time have a particular style of playing and the younger players have made this instrument their own with just as important a style, showing the versatility of the dobro beyond bluegrass. Who would have thought "Day Tripper", a Beatles tune, could sound so cool with a dobro? All of these pieces are instrumentally divine! Well worth the money for those who choose their music collection carefully for 'keepers'.

Average customer rating:

SIMPLY AWESOME BAND
Be Amazed. Be VERY Amazed
"Black Bear" creates a bear of a good time
Like nothing I've heard before!
A good kind vibe

Black Bear Sessions
Railroad Earth
Manufacturer: Bos Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000066AT1
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

Head
Lordy Lordy
Seven Story Mountain
Chains
Black Bear
Colorado
Real Love
Stillwater Getaway
Cold Weather
Railroad Earth

Customer Reviews:

SIMPLY AWESOME BAND.......2005-09-02

I happened to hear of these guys by chance, word of mouth, and I cant be more thankful. RRE music is timeless. I'm a true rock n roller, I dont know how to describe this band..I never cared for blue grass or Grateful Dead, but these guys have an original quality to them thats special. The music is timeless, meaningful lyrics, great musicianship, and most importantly HOOKS & MELODIES. Songs that stick with you. I highly recommend this band to everyone that I'm in contact with. I'm very picky when it comes to music, Im a musician and I dont like alot of whats going on out there in the music world. This band is a breath of fresh air and makes us realize that theres still a few talented people in the world that play some great music. Theres not many. Buy and listen to RRE, they deserve it!

Be Amazed. Be VERY Amazed.......2003-05-25

In a world of cookie cutter music, copycat art, and been-there, done-that overfamiliarity, this band is more than a breath of fresh air-it's a hit of 100% oxygen.

I owned the second Railroad Earth CD, "Bird in a House" for three months before ordering "The Black Bear Sessions." I was waiting to grow tired of the former before sending for reinforcements. Then I realized I might never get tired of it.(I haven't).

I'm writing a review of this two year old album to explain what I believe makes Railroad Earth unique and worthy. I know CDs are expensive, and buying anything unfamiliar is a risk. Many with limited budgets stay with the tried and true. But don't worry about future schock. RRE is not so much a band that's ahead of itself, as one that blends great musical elements of the past into a new, intoxicating brew.

Critics have struggled to describe RRE. The most frequent comments include "jamgrass" or "kinda like the Grateful Dead during their American Beauty period." Try this one: "Railroad Earth is like a seventies psychodelic band with Southern rock attitude that's been put in the 21st Century and given acoustic instruments."

Let's analyze just two of the songs on The Black Bear Sessions, which give you a hint at the breadth and skills of these six musicians. The opening number "Head" sets the quality bar near the top right out of the gate. Before you even have your headset adjusted, a banjo drops in to say howdy. This is quickly followed by a high powered vocally-wailed series of "Ohhhhhs" to get your attention, before the rest of the instruments jump in with a fast paced bluegrass groove.

Rick-a-tick drums,thumping base, banjo, guitar and a fiddle soon join the vocals. But it isn't until the third minute of the song that Railroad Earth puts its stamp on the music.

I mentioned Southern Rock, which too often featured coke-fueled 10-12 minute instrumental breaks--but no worry about self- indulgence here. What follows is a three minute chunk of spot-on instrumntal virtuosity that will have your head bobbing and toes tapping.

While many bluegrass bands use their instrumental breaks for individual bursts of virtuosity while the rest of the band plays rhythm and waits their turn, RRE unleashes a full palate of intertwined, now-dueling, now-harmonic instrumental thrusts and parries. Nobody rests on a Railroad Earth song. The result is what might have happened if Wall of Sound pioneer Phil Spector had gone country.

On "head," it's mostly a fiddle and Mandolin pas de deux, calling and responding, challenging each other to even greater moments, before finally joining forces in a co-ordinated, precision picked assault. Each time you listen, you discover new subtlies and genius throughout the tune--and the album, for that matter.

But RRE is nothing if not unpredictable. The third cut on the album, an extraordinary workout called "Seven Story Mountain" will hit you with a rhythmic curve ball that rekindles thoughts of musical legends ranging from Ravi Shankar to Bo Diddley to the Byrds.

It starts with a smidge of arhythmic psychodelia, but before you have a chance to say, "whazzat?" a clean acoustic guitar picks up the rhythm, joined quickly by a fiddle riff that hooks you and holds you throughout. Soon tom-tom drums reminiscent of Mr. Diddleys' jungle-based rhythms-tho not the Bo Diddley Beat itself--join in. A Dobro provides accents and fills, and voices rise in sweet sweet harmony. Too soon the instruments depart one-by-one, as mysteriously as they arrived-but as the man once said-the melody lingers on. You won't believe it was six minutes long. The song is so powerful musically the lyrics may sneak past you. Don't let that happen.

Lead singer and the songwriter on the majority of RRE's music is Todd Shaeffer, blessed with envigorating ability to blend the familiar with the unexpected. His and other tunes sound precise and improvisational simultaneously, drawing from many influences. Shaeffer may be the SpongeTodd Unsquarepants of modern songwriting. He's absorbed it much music, filtered out the bad and given back extrordinary, hook filled music that wears better than a $$$$ suit. But he can't do it alone, and everyone else is up to the challenge.
I am no spring chicken. I was raised on rock and roll, came to country late, and moved to bluegrass almost fulltime when the charlatans took over Nashville. So I've heard and seen-if not all of it, most of it. And I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of bands that have flat out blown me away like RRE.

"Black Bear" creates a bear of a good time.......2002-12-23

The first exposure I got from this band was at the Telluride Blugrass Festival in 2000 and I thought they were great. About a year later I was pleasantly suprised to see a flyer advertising their appearance at my tiny liberal arts college in Oregon. I experienced this intimate performance which included all of the material from the "Black Bear" recordings. This album is fun and energetic. The artists in Railroad Earth are all very talented and they really enjoy what they do. This is not exactly traditional blugrass for it does have more of a rock quality. However, even if you are a die hard traditional blugrass fan you will still enjoy this. Also those who are fond of country rock, the Grateful Dead, and the Allman Brothers to name a few will find Railroad Earth to be a excellent companion.

Like nothing I've heard before!.......2002-11-06

I have to thank the previous reviewer for the words on this amazing album! I bought "Bird in a House" in the store and was checking around out here. I love the new one but still never heard "The Black Bear Sessions." If I hadn't read the previous review I might not have gotten it immediately.

This album is completely fantastic!! Sorry I'm no writer and don't know what else I can say except that it's a must have for any CD collection. For me it's up there with "American Beauty!" And that's saying a lot for this old Deadhead!

A good kind vibe.......2002-10-03

Having reviewed _Bird In A House_ and mentioned this CD, I hadn't planned to review it separately. I changed my mind because (a) _The Black Bear Sessions_ is just too good not to review, and (b) I saw that nobody else had reviewed it yet.

Some of the songs on this CD (five, I think) were originally recorded as demos. They were so good that the band recorded another five and turned the demo into its debut release.

Even more obviously than its successor, this CD is driven by the songwriting of Todd Sheaffer (formerly of From Good Homes). I can't say enough about his remarkable talents, not only as a songwriter but also as a singer and guitarist. If you want to hear what he sounds like by himself, check out his solo live CD _Dream of Love_, where you'll also hear a solo version of "Head," the opening song on this collection. (You'll also hear a solo version of "Came Up Smilin'" from _Bird In A House_. "Head" was also released on the From Good Homes CD _Open Up The Sky_, on which there's also an earlier version of "Walk On By.")

His songs have reminded lots of listeners, including me, of _Workingman's Dead_/_American Beauty_-era Grateful Dead (especially the numerous Garcia-Hunter collaborations but also, e.g., the Lesh-Hunter masterpiece "Box of Rain"). It's no wonder, really.

First of all, Sheaffer is a lyricist with several Hunter-like qualities. Not least of these are economy of language, a sort of Dreamtime evocativeness, and a strong sense of what most of us would probably call "spirituality" even though few of his songs call any overt attention to religious/spiritual matters.

Then, too, his Railroad Earth music tends to draw so heavily on "old-timey," American-heartland sources that a very casual listener could possibly mistake this stuff for traditional bluegrass -- which it isn't, any more than _Workingman's Dead_ was really as traditional as _it_ sounded upon superficial hearing.

His musicianship is excellent too, especially as a vocalist. His delivery is engaging and earnest, with more than a hint of Uncle Jerry in the occasional cracking of his voice.

As in my other review, I may seem to be slighting the rest of the band. That's not my intent; John Skehan (mandolin), Carey Harmon (drums/percussion), Dave Von Dollen (bass), Tim Carbone (violin), and Andy Goessling (several sorts of guitar, banjo, and other instruments as needed) are all terrific at what they do too. (And comparing RRE to Sheaffer's solo release is also an excellent way to check out what _these_ guys brought to the party -- which is quite a lot.) And they do some of the songwriting as well, not to mention some singing.

It's just that this project so clearly takes its initial inspiration from Sheaffer's tunes. (And even the occasional cover tune -- Tom Waits's "Cold Water" on this CD and Neal Casal's "Dandelion Wine" on _Bird In A House_ -- has Sheaffer's stamp on it.) What we have here is a group of six tremendously talented acoustic musicians applying those talents to music and lyrics largely written by this creative and charismatic fellow. The resulting whole is, as they say, more than the sum of its parts.

But it's not traditional bluegrass. This is barefoot-hippie jamband music that draws on traditionally bluegrassy sources but is not in any way limited to/by them. If, as I do, you like Leftover Salmon, the Yonder Mountain String Band, and the String Cheese Incident (I especially like SCI), you'll be blown away by these guys.

A great group and a great pair of CDs; I can't recommend them highly enough. I don't remember the last time I was this excited about a new band.

The Ahern Sessions: 1976-1977
Average customer rating:

GOOD MUSIC!

Fantastic!!

Mary Kay Place has talent!

A PLACE in Time

Unfairly obscure country spinoff of TV's Mary Hartman

The Ahern Sessions: 1976-1977
Mary Kay Place
Manufacturer: Raven [Australia]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005B53H
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

Vitamin L
Streets of This Town (Ode to Fernwood)
Gold in the Ground
Settin' the Woods on Fire
Good Ol' Country Baptizin'
Baby Boy
Get Acquainted Waltz
Coke and Chips
Have a Little Talk With Jesus
All I Can Do
Dolly's Dive
Paintin' Her Fingernails
Don't Make Love (To a Country Music Singer)
Marlboro Man
Anybody's Darlin' (Anything But Mine)
You Can't Go to Heaven (If You Don't Have a Good Time)
Cattle Kate
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Something to Brag About
Save the Last Dance for Me

Product Description

1. Vitamin L
2. Streets Of This Town (Ode To Fernwood)
3. Gold In The Ground
4. Settin' The Woods On Fire
5. Good Ol' Country Baptizin'
6. Baby Boy
7. Get Acquanted Waltz
8. Coke And Chips
9. Have A Little Talk With Jesus
10. All I Can Do
11. Dolly's Dive
12. Paintin' Her Fingernails
13. Don't Make Love (To A Country Music Singer)
14. Marlboro Man
15. Anybody's Darlin' (Anything But Mine)
16. You Can't Go To Heaven (If You Don't Have A Good Time)
17. Cattle Kate
18. Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
19. Something To Brag About - (with Willie Nelson)
20. Save The Last Dance For Me

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

GOOD MUSIC!.......2007-02-05

TOO BAD A GOOD VOICE HAS TO BE REMEMBERED FROM A LAME TELEVISION SERIES. YEAH! I KNOW IT WAS POPULAR. IT'S TOO BAD THAT MARY KAY PLACES VOICE DROPPED OFF WHEN THE SHOW DID. THIS IS A GREAT CD. A GOOD MIX OF STYLES. VERY ENJOYABLE LISTENING!

Fantastic!!.......2007-01-10

I was absolutely blown away by this 2-CD collections. I had been searching for copies of the old TV show "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and in that process stumbled upon this CD. I ordered it on a whim. And what a great surprise I had when I heard these toe-stomping classic country tunes! Mary Kay Place write clever lyrics, has a wonderful voice, and is backed up on several songs by such greats as Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson. I can't get enough of this CD! You won't be disappointed.

Mary Kay Place has talent!.......2007-01-03

I listened to her music 25 years ago, and was excited to rediscover the singing talent of actress Mary Kay Place. Country music that tells a story is not unique, but this album is a genre all its own. Brings back fond memories for this 50 year old fan!

A PLACE in Time.......2003-10-12

I had recently gone though my stacks of old vinyl albums looking for the two country albums Mary Kay Place recorded in the 70s. Unfortunately, I didn't find them. I was definitely pleased to learn about the Ahern Sessions CD and ordered one immediately. What a treat to hear those songs again! Now if I could just find a DVD with Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman episodes!!

Unfairly obscure country spinoff of TV's Mary Hartman.......2003-06-11

Raven's 2-fer reissue collects both of actress-singer Mary Kay Place's mid-70s country albums. Place's singing career was a spinoff from the singing career of her character Loretta Haggers on the late-night television soap-opera "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman," and much like earlier TV creations, such as The Monkees, her music greatly transcended the novelty of its origins. This was due, in part, to her incredible musical team h (Brian Ahern, who'd produced numerous hit albums by both Anne Murray and Emmylou Harris, together with the cast of musicians -- including Harris -- who populated his works), but, even more, the success of these records is a reflection of just how good Place could sing.

The debut album, "Tonite! At the Capri Lounge, Loretta Haggers," spun directly from the series, is descended from Place's eccentric TV character, and is tilted towards kitsch. Peaking at #6, the album spun off the #3 single, "Baby Boy," written by Place as a lovesong to her TV alter-ego's older husband, Charlie. Place ramps up her Okie accent for the hicks-night-out "Settin' the Woods on Fire," blending smoothly with the tight harmony backing, fiddle and pedal steel. Her cover of The Louvins' "Get Acquainted Waltz" moves away from the schmaltz, and adds a fine fiddle line from former Dillard, Byron Berline. Loretta Haggers' reputed role model, Dolly Parton, turns up to sing harmony on her own "All I Can Do."

For her second album, Ahern gathered a more stable group of players, including legendary guitarists James Burton and Albert Lee, fiddler Richard Greene and pianist Glen D. Hardin. Place struck up a songwriting relationship with session ace (and Hot Band member, and eventual Patty Loveless producer and husband) Emory Gordy Jr., which resulted in three original songs. Combined with a trio of songs by Rodney Crowell, the sophomore release wasn't as tightly bound to Place's trailer-trash TV character. Highlights include a gospel-tinged take on Crowell's "You Can't Go to Heaven (If You Don't Have a Good Time)", a duet with Willie Nelson on "Something to Brag About," and a delicate, slow take of "Save the Last Dance For Me."

Tracks:

Right To Be Wrong
Super Duper Love
Less Is More
Jet Lag
Don't Cha Wanna Ride
Killing Time
You Had Me
Sleep Like A Child
Understand
Victim Of A Foolish Heart
Fell In Love With A Boy

Product Description

Tracks:

Hong Kong Hillbilly (Nashville West) [Stereo]
Mother-In-Law [Stereo]
Make Up Your Mind [Stereo]
Grandma Funderbunk's Music Box [Stereo]
Guitar Pickin' Man [Stereo][#]
Vaccination for the Blues [Stereo]
Don't Pity Me [Mono Version] - Darrell Cotton, Clarence White
Gotta Go See the World [Mono Version] - Leon Chase Copeland, Clarence White
Everybody Has One But You [Mono Version][#] - The Kentucky Colonels, Clarence White
She's Gone [Stereo][#]
Tuff and Stringy [Stereo]
I'm Tied Down to You [Mono Version]
Hey Juliana [Stereo]
Last Date [Stereo]
I'll Live Today [Stereo] - Dennis Payne, Clarence White
Not Enough of Me to Go Round [Stereo]
Riff-Raff [Stereo]
If We Could Read [Mono Version] - Darrell Cotton, Clarence White
Rocks in My Head [Mono Version]
Made of Stone [Mono Version][#] - The Kentucky Colonels, Clarence White
Buckaroo [Stereo][#]
Adam and Eve [Backing Track][#][Version]
Why Can't We Be [Alternate Version]
Nature's Child [Stereo][#]
Tango for a Sad Mood [Stereo]
If We Could Read [Backing Track][#] - Darrell Cotton, Clarence White

Album Description

Subtitled - Sessions 1966-68. Former Kentucky Colonel, future Byrd, & a true guitar legend, White defined the country guitar. Here he's showcased on country/folk-rock sessions from 1966-1968 including super rare singles, demos, & his first recordings as a soloist. Featuring previously unknown electrified demos by The Kentucky Colonels. 26 tracks plus a 20-page booklet featuring many rare photos & extensive liner notes. Ace. 2003.

Album Details

Compilation of Rare Tracks by Future Byrds Guitar Hero, featuring his (Mainly Acoustic) Early Session Work, as Well as Tracks by the Kentucky Colonels and his First Recordings as a Soloist. Includes Detailed Sleevenotes.

Customer Reviews:

Finally!.......2003-09-23

I've spent decades collecting Clarence's session work, and I've even managed to locate three or four of the LPs that contain the Bakersfield International work... but to hear these tracks sans dust and wear, in pristine fidelity- I'm in heaven! Hong Kong Hillbilly (Nashville West) clocks in at around two minutes but contains so much music that it seems hours long (and no, I haven't been smoking anything). Tango for a Sad Mood alone is worth the price of the Cd, and is quite simply one of the most beautiful guitar instrumentals I have ever heard. All of these tracks provide a rare glimpse of a genius at his day job, if you will.
The Forward from Michelle White Bledsoe is quite moving, and Alec Palao's liner notes beatifully evoke this transitional period. A long awaited treasure for this Byrdnyrd!

CD Fills a Major Gap.......2003-06-12

I've listened to pretty much everything Clarence White recorded. He did a lot in his 29 years, and I find all of it interesting. This fascinating release reveals a transitional 2-year period in Clarence's career as a studio guitarist that has been virtually unheard until now. To criticize "Tuff & Stringy" as a previous writer did is to miss the point entirely. These recordings will enlighten and entertain any Clarence fan except the terminally narrowminded. Considering that some of the tracks are informal studio demos and "idea sketches" from the mid-1960s, the technical quality is unexpectedly good. As for the music, it shouldn't be compared to the Byrds or the Kentucky Colonels. It's neither rock nor bluegrass. This CD fills a major gap, further documenting and demonstrating Clarence's broad musical interests and brilliance.

CD Fills a Major Gap.......2003-06-11

I've listened to pretty much everything Clarence White recorded. He did a lot in his 29 years, and I find all of it interesting. This fascinating release reveals a transitional 2-year period in Clarence's career as a studio guitarist -- recordings that have been virtually unheard until now. To criticize "Tuff & Stringy" as a previous writer did is to miss the point entirely. These recordings will enlighten and entertain any Clarence fan except the terminally narrowminded. Considering that some of the tracks are informal studio demos and "idea sketches" from the mid-1960s, the technical quality is unexpectedly good. As for the music, it shouldn't be compared to the Byrds or the Kentucky Colonels. It's neither rock nor bluegrass. This CD fills a major gap, further documenting and demonstrating Clarence's broad musical interests and brilliance.

GREAT RARE CLARENCE!!.......2003-05-23

OK first off I'm biased- I helped with this CD on remastering and remixing some of the stuff that never saw the light of day- or was remixed in stereo, so I'm biased but , I must say I love it! I grew up watching the Kentucky Colonels on Sunday morning TV in LA!!
I mean -some of it isn't the best of Clarence White granted but, for most people who are just starting their Clarence White experience they will hear just how versatile he was and what was going on around him from 67 -72.
Even if you are a hard core Clarence fan this stuff is great! and I must say a lot of "love" and attention went into the remastering of these tracks when need be. Please don't be put off by this other review- and no I am not on the record company's (ACE) payroll-

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT-DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.......2003-04-27

A truly unsatisfying release obviously with no care taken in all aspects (performance, sound, etc.) to the great talent that was Clarence White. You are better off buying albums by the Byrds, Kentucky Colonels, Muleskinner that he performed with.

Average customer rating:

The puritan sesssions

The Puritan Sessions
Jethro Burns
Manufacturer: Freeland Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Country Comedy | Comedy | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Swing Low, Sweet Mandolin
Back to Back
Bye Bye Blues
S'Wonderful: 4 Giants Of Swing
Best Of: Hall of Fame 2001

ASIN: B00000DC5H
Release Date: 1998-11-30

Tracks:

Taterbug Rag
Djangology
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
Jethro's Tune
Flakey
Kelly Boy Rag
Rip-Off
Nola
Beaumont Rag
Fickle Fingers
Litterbug Waltz
Crazy Daisies
Secret Love
Intro to 'Bye Bye Blackfbird'
Bye Bye Blackbird
Intro To 'Blues In B Flat'
Blues In B Flat
Intro To 'Blues In B Flat
Blues In B Flat
Out Of Nowhere
Intro to 'Birth Of The Blues'
Birth of The Blues

Customer Reviews:

The puritan sesssions.......2003-09-06

Doesn't get anymore classic than this ! Two legends just sitting down and doing what they do best.

A Proper Introduction to Hank Williams: The Final Sessions

Average customer rating:

A Proper Introduction to Hank Williams: The Final Sessions
Hank Williams
Manufacturer: Proper Introduction
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

Honky-Tonk | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music

Country | Imports | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Hillbilly Hero

ASIN: B0002Z9Y8C
Release Date: 2004-09-20

Tracks:

I'd Still Want You
Let's Turn Back the Years
Window Shopping
Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
Settin' the Woods on Fire
I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive - The Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams
You Win Again
I Won't Be Home No More
Be Careful of Stones That You Throw
Please Make Up Your Mind
I Could Never Be Ashamed of You
Your Cheatin' Heart
Kaw-Liga
Take These Chains from My Heart
My Son Calls Another Man Daddy - The Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams
You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) [*]
Tramp on the Street [*]
I'm a Long Gone Daddy [*] - The Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams
Lost Highway [*]
I'll Have a New Body (I'll Have a New Life) [*]
Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine [*]
There's a Tear in My Beer [*] - Hank Williams
Wearin' Out Your Walking Shoes [*] - Hank Williams
There's Nothing as Sweet as My Baby [*] - Hank Williams
(I'm Gonna) Sing, Sing, Sing [*] - Hank Williams
I Can't Escape from You [*] - Hank Williams
Weary Blues from Waitin' [*] - Hank Williams
Are You Walkin' and a Talkin' for the Lord [*] - Hank Williams
If You'll Be a Baby to Me [*] - Hank Williams
Jesus Is Calling [*] - Hank Williams

Album Description

Import exclusive compilation features comprehensive liner notes, photographs, & discographies. Proper. 2004.

Album Details

To Many, Hank Williams is the Face of Country Music. A Hard Living, Hard Working Man, He Mapped Out the Path that Many Others have Followed and in the Process Became a Legend. This Proper Intro Presents the Last Songs that He Recorded Before He Passed Away in a Blaze of Glory. Comes with a Fully Illustrated Booklet featuring Comprehensive Liner Notes, Photographs and Discographies.

Album Review:

Album Review

Album Review