Beer, bluegrass, occasional other stuff
Officially, the Jakobs Ferry Stragglers 2018 release “Poison RIver” is the band’s third album. In a lot of ways, though, it feels like a debut effort. Originally formed in 2014, the Stragglers’ sound has always been built around the vocals of founding members Gary Antol and Libby Eddy. That does not change on “Poison River.” What does change on this release, and for the better, is the makeup of the rest of the band. With[…]
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published in the British Bluegrass News — BBN85. From a distance, it seemed as if Charles Humphrey III was living a bluegrass musician’s dream. As the bassist, and one of the principal songwriters for the Steep Canyon Rangers, Humphrey was playing to bigger and bigger crowds, crowds fueled in part by the bands 15-plus years of touring and recording, both on their own and in association with Steve Martin.[…]
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the British Bluegrass News — BBN85. I hesitated in reviewing this album. Not because I didn’t like it. I did, very much. It’s just that I know how some folks react to anything that does not meet some mythical bluegrass purity test. I don’t want to upset those folks. I also don’t care to get drawn into that long-running debate. So I will make it very clear[…]
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