2014-03-26
Guitar (6 strings) + banjo (5) + mandolin (8) + fiddle (4) + bass (4) = 27 strings, but I think they're counting the mandolin as only 4. Also they use a Barry Dudley 5-string violin, but who's counting? There are also drums and horns. This is fun, fast, and bouncy bluegrass, but St. James Infirmary should not be played fast and bouncy. Five songs on this EP, and I recommend the other four..
From the promo sheet: "Fiery, soul stirring bluegrass, beautifully round-around-the-edges old time and a homespun folk heart pulled from mountain hollows are all sewn into the sound.... The 23 String Band plays fun, fuel-injected, original American that weaves across the lanes of modern acoustic music. It's a bluegrass attack fueled by high-octane rock-n-roll energy and triple-distilled old-timey roots. Your feet hurt from dancing; your face hurts from grinning."
--Gerald Etkind
IVOR THOMAS
Nowhere Else To Go
Y LA BAMBA
Oh February
Todd Snider
Peace, Love and Anarchy (Rarities, B-Sides and Demos, Vol. 1)
Seth Walker
Gotta Get Back
PAUL KELLY
Greatest Hits-Songs From the South Volumes 1 & 2
KATE RUSBY
Awkward Annie
The opinions expressed in these reviews are those of the individual volunteers that submitted the article and do not necessarily reflect the views of WYCE or GRCMC; nor its staff, donors, or affiliates.