CD Reviews
Laurie Lewis & her Bluegrass Pals
Barnes & Noble
Known for pushing the boundaries of progressive bluegrass with infusions of jazz, country, Latin, and even new age flavors, singer-fiddler-songwriter Laurie Lewis comes home on her latest album. Appropriately, the opening track, "Tall Pines," is a song about homesickness Lewis learned from an album by the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe. Backed by the tight ensemble playing of Tom Rozum's sparkling mandolin, Mary Gibson's steady rhythm guitar, Todd Phillips's tasteful bass and Craig Smith's lively banjo, Lewis gives a soulful but entirely bluegrass touch to Jimmy Martin's remorseful "Stepping Stones." There are four originals, including the lively "Big Eddy" and "Wind at Play," as well as a cut written by country throwback Gillian Welch ("Acony Bell"), and several traditional tunes. Lewis's sensitive fiddle playing adds a special touch of mournful emotion to "Black Waters," a tune by one of her heroes, Jean Ritchie.
All Music Guide
Laurie Lewis comes full circle and brings a batch of her friends together for an inspired session of straight-ahead bluegrass. There's an empathy to the playing of Lewis with mandolinist Tom Rozum, banjoist Craig Smith, bassist Todd Phillips, and rhythm guitarist Mary Gibbons that grows on you as the album unfolds with the strong trio singing of Lewis, Gibbons, and Rozum that's equally as seductive. Highlights include "Tall Pines," Jimmy Martin's "Stepping Stones," Jean Ritchie's "Black Waters," "Acony Bell," and Lewis' own "Wind at Play," "Blow, Big Wind," and "Big Eddy." An inspired session. Cub Koda
Laurie Lewis Laurie Lewis and Her Bluegrass Pals
Jun-20-1999 ©1999 iBluegrass.com.
All rights reserved.
By Debbie Brightwell
Tall Pines/Stepping Stones/Blow, Big Wind/Going to the West/When I get Home/Black Waters/Big Eddy/Acony Bell/Wind at Play/Weevily Wheat/Hard Luck and Trouble/The Wood Thrush's Song/Beyond the River Bend
Laurie Lewis has always had the reputation for blazing her own original trail, gracefully moving through her musical career. On previous projects, she has successfully expanded her stylings far beyond her bluegrass roots. We find Laurie revisiting those roots instrumental in shaping her as a musician on her new recording, "Laurie Lewis and her Bluegrass Pals." In essence, this is Laurie's bluegrass homecoming and she's taking us all along with her.
Laurie decided she needed to assemble a traditional 5-piece straight-ahead bluegrass band to record this CD. Of course, Laurie plays fiddle. Laurie's other instrument, her strong, clear, resonant voice, provides most of the lead vocals. Laurie's unique vocal tonality gives even the most traditional bluegrass a sound distinctly her own. Joining her on mandolin and harmony vocals is longtime duet partner, and friend, Tom Rozum. To handle the banjo duties, Laurie called on Craig Smith. Craig, himself a Rounder recording artist and much demanded session player, exhibits impressive mastery on the 5-string banjo. He reminds us banjo is part of the rhythm in a bluegrass unit. Additionally, Craig provides bass vocals on the hauntingly beautiful "The Wood Thrush's Song." Playing rhythm guitar and singing tenor vocals is Mary Gibbons. Be sure to listen to the way her voice melds with Laurie's. Providing the bottom, with impeccable timing and taste, is none other than Todd Phillips. His bass leads on "Big Eddy" illustrate why he is undoubtedly the bassist of choice in acoustic music circles. The camaraderie and common spirit of this band is most evident in the outstanding trio and quartet singing, and the give and take of the instrumentals.
Once again, Laurie's knack for choosing material shines in every cut. Successfully blending traditional folk songs, original compositions, and contemporary and traditional bluegrass, the listener is treated to a cacophony of rare, not often performed works. Laurie pays homage to some of the fine female singer/songwriters, past and present, on three cuts. To honor Hazel Dickens, a mentor of most female bluegrass musicians, the band performs "Beyond the River Bend." It is on this cut the impeccable rhythm of the band is best demonstrated. Jean Ritchie's protest song, "Black Waters," dramatically laments the ravages of strip-mining. Laurie's intentional lack of resolution as she ends "Black Water" is particularly striking. "Acony Bell," Gillian Welch's song about a hopeful little mountain wildflower, lends itself nicely to the Monroe-esque way in which the band performs the tune.
Breeding new life into old folksongs, Tom and Laurie demonstrate their duet abilities with the conversational "Going to the West." The listener is treated to an aural delight on "Weevily Wheat" as Craig's banjo and Laurie's fiddle dance about each other.
Laurie illustrates her philosophy regarding bluegrass on her original compositions. She has always maintained bluegrass is the one genre that allows an artist to present new ideas that are strongly connected with traditional sounds. The influence the Stanley Brothers made on Laurie's early bluegrass development is clearly heard in all of her original arrangements on this project. Using the a cappella style of the Old Primitive Church, Laurie mourns the disappearance of the wood thrush due to "the crush of man's embrace." This listener was most moved by the powerful quartet singing on this piece.
Of course, no self-respecting bluegrass recording would be complete without a gospel song. To fill the bill, the band performs Estil Ball's "When I get Home." Craig Smith sets aside the banjo to add his Scruggs/Reno style fingerpicked guitar. Not only can we hear Todd playing great walking bass lines, but he also makes his first professional singing performance handling bass vocals.
A common thread running through all of the material on this CD is humankind's interaction with nature. Laurie take us on an incredible nature walk. We smell the "sweet fragrance of flowers" beyond an Appalachian river bend. We take a wild ride on the "Big Eddy" and come to a quiet rest under the "Tall Pines." The listener's emotions ride the highs and lows of the instruments and vocals. It allows one to pause and reflect -- to contemplate the deeper meaning of the imagery behind some of America's favorite music. Yes, this is bluegrass, "no doubt about it," with all the instrumental velocity and vocal prowess expected from a high and tight bluegrass recording. However, be sure to allow yourself to get lost in the lyrics. I assure you it will be a most worthwhile adventure.