MARTEKA AND WILLIAM
The Sounds of a Tradition
Yonder Stands Little Maggie – Cripple Creek –
I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome – Reuben – Sally Ann – Head Over
Heels – John Henry – When The Angels Carry Me Home – Rambling Gambler –
Sally Goodin – Johnson Ridge Special
I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome – Reuben – Sally Ann – Head Over
Heels – John Henry – When The Angels Carry Me Home – Rambling Gambler –
Sally Goodin – Johnson Ridge Special
Wow, what a waker-upper for some incredible gifted and
well-played traditional bluegrass music. Many of my own friends know
how close I was to Jimmy Martin, and to hear this young brother-sister
bringing their incredible vigor and West Virginia strength back to
bluegrass music is absolutely stunning, to say the least. Marteka is
the sister, she’s one hot 5-string banjo player. William, the
brother, is on the guitar and he’s one hot picker and praise the Lord, a
singer of mountain music the way it should be sung. This delightful and
incredibly talented duo will find barriers getting their music played
on radio. Why? Because they are ‘real’ the very ‘realist’ you can get,
especially in bluegrass music. There are already bluegrass ‘snobs’ in
our midst, meaning the music has to be one specific style, smoother
louder and faster. No room for traditional nasal singers permitted.
That negative will probably not stand up to this wonderful
brother-sister act from West Virginia. Joining this
amazing duo are two other incredibly gifted musicians, Corrina Rose
Logston Stephens on one hot fiddle, and Bruce Jones for some simply
amazing hot Dobro playing. Charley Lake is on the acoustic
upright bass. If you will look at the names of the songs this
incredibly good young group is playing, you will see the very epitome of
where bluegrass music is and where it came from. It’s early in the
year but this CD goes directly to the Rural Roots Music Commission with
my high recommendation for “Traditional Bluegrass CD of the Year”
award. I’m also going to our own Board to see if our “Rising Legends”
can get some notice, respect, and honor for this group. This entire CD
is traditional bluegrass, the very best of the genre when it was still
young and still just for the ‘folks’ back home. This young West
Virginia group is certainly keeping that particular torch alive, and I
certainly wish them the very best in their efforts at not only sharing
their music, but also for their efforts in keeping the music in the
genre it was created. Shelly Lake is the producer and engineer of this
delightful CD. She definitely knows what she is doing in the recording
studio, I’ve not heard high-power acoustic instruments mixed quite so
well before. Five stars all the way around, and looking forward to more
of the same.
well-played traditional bluegrass music. Many of my own friends know
how close I was to Jimmy Martin, and to hear this young brother-sister
bringing their incredible vigor and West Virginia strength back to
bluegrass music is absolutely stunning, to say the least. Marteka is
the sister, she’s one hot 5-string banjo player. William, the
brother, is on the guitar and he’s one hot picker and praise the Lord, a
singer of mountain music the way it should be sung. This delightful and
incredibly talented duo will find barriers getting their music played
on radio. Why? Because they are ‘real’ the very ‘realist’ you can get,
especially in bluegrass music. There are already bluegrass ‘snobs’ in
our midst, meaning the music has to be one specific style, smoother
louder and faster. No room for traditional nasal singers permitted.
That negative will probably not stand up to this wonderful
brother-sister act from West Virginia. Joining this
amazing duo are two other incredibly gifted musicians, Corrina Rose
Logston Stephens on one hot fiddle, and Bruce Jones for some simply
amazing hot Dobro playing. Charley Lake is on the acoustic
upright bass. If you will look at the names of the songs this
incredibly good young group is playing, you will see the very epitome of
where bluegrass music is and where it came from. It’s early in the
year but this CD goes directly to the Rural Roots Music Commission with
my high recommendation for “Traditional Bluegrass CD of the Year”
award. I’m also going to our own Board to see if our “Rising Legends”
can get some notice, respect, and honor for this group. This entire CD
is traditional bluegrass, the very best of the genre when it was still
young and still just for the ‘folks’ back home. This young West
Virginia group is certainly keeping that particular torch alive, and I
certainly wish them the very best in their efforts at not only sharing
their music, but also for their efforts in keeping the music in the
genre it was created. Shelly Lake is the producer and engineer of this
delightful CD. She definitely knows what she is doing in the recording
studio, I’ve not heard high-power acoustic instruments mixed quite so
well before. Five stars all the way around, and looking forward to more
of the same.
REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART – www.ntcma.net
for Country Music News International Magazine