Mark Newton
(A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass) Veteran Bluegrass artist Mark Newton has taken a good idea and combined it with the work of some of the finest talents in the music today to come up with a powerful, stunning album of first-rate Bluegrass. Just a look at a list of the musicians and one knows he’s in for a treat, but the surprise here is that so much of the album is hard-driving, tough, cutting edge Bluegrass. Really, every one of the 12 duets is a gem, and different listeners will find a variety of favorites, then it’s all topped off with a super 13th track, a fine new song by Tom T Hall that is a nicely done tribute to Maybelle Carter and features Newton with all of the women on this record, plus Hall himself. Here’s a list of the women who duet with Mark here: Rhonda Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Lynn Morris, Claire Lynch, The Whites, Kathy Chiavola, Gena Britt, Valerie Smith, Gloria Belle and Kim & Barb Fox. The instrumental back-up work is just as impressive, with fine, hard-driving banjo by Kristin Scott, Missy Raines superb bass, and excellent playing by Alan Bibey (mandolin), Ronnie Stewart (fiddle), Tony Rice (lead guitar), and Fred Travers (dobro)
(A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass) Veteran Bluegrass artist Mark Newton has taken a good idea and combined it with the work of some of the finest talents in the music today to come up with a powerful, stunning album of first-rate Bluegrass. Just a look at a list of the musicians and one knows he’s in for a treat, but the surprise here is that so much of the album is hard-driving, tough, cutting edge Bluegrass. Really, every one of the 12 duets is a gem, and different listeners will find a variety of favorites, then it’s all topped off with a super 13th track, a fine new song by Tom T Hall that is a nicely done tribute to Maybelle Carter and features Newton with all of the women on this record, plus Hall himself. Here’s a list of the women who duet with Mark here: Rhonda Vincent, Dale Ann Bradley, Lynn Morris, Claire Lynch, The Whites, Kathy Chiavola, Gena Britt, Valerie Smith, Gloria Belle and Kim & Barb Fox. The instrumental back-up work is just as impressive, with fine, hard-driving banjo by Kristin Scott, Missy Raines superb bass, and excellent playing by Alan Bibey (mandolin), Ronnie Stewart (fiddle), Tony Rice (lead guitar), and Fred Travers (dobro)