JONAH RIDDLE & CAROLINA EXPRESS
Traditions
If I Should Wander Back Tonight – Before I
Met You – Come all Ye Fair and Tender Ladies – Crossing Sugar Creek –
Doin’ My Time – When The Savior Reached Down For Me – Grand Ole Opry
Song – Rose Of Old Kentucky – Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong – Pick Along –
Ruby – Sunny Side of The Mountain – John Knew
Met You – Come all Ye Fair and Tender Ladies – Crossing Sugar Creek –
Doin’ My Time – When The Savior Reached Down For Me – Grand Ole Opry
Song – Rose Of Old Kentucky – Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong – Pick Along –
Ruby – Sunny Side of The Mountain – John Knew
I really have a spot in my heart for young new performers
of Bluegrass music. This genre is the only thing we have going these
days that still reflects the honesty and sincerity of ‘true’ songwriting
and rural and mountain musical expression. The traditional nature in
which Jonah puts these songs forward with his super banjo playing, with
just as much honesty and sincerity as the song itself., is amazing. I
was so happy to see Jimmy Martin’s great song “Sunny Side of the
Mountain” on this remarkable CD. Jimmy was a good friend of mine, we go
back a long ways, and this young Grayson Riddle (Jonah’s 12-year old
brother and lead vocalist & guitarist) is following right in his
footsteps. Grayson is not growing old and gray yet, but he sure has
that ‘feel’ for the song, the same ‘feel’ Jimmy Martin had, one of the
most proficient ‘true’ in-your-face bluegrass performers ever. I loved
him dearly. And guess what, I love the way Jonah Riddle is ‘throwing’
himself into this musical genre, and doing it with a passion very very
few ‘pop’ artists have these days. Take note, his brother Grayson is
going to be a top vocalist. Together, much like the Everly Brothers did
with their music, the Riddle’s can, and will, take the ‘traditional
bluegrass’ music scene to themselves. They have already established
themselves as a musical force to deal with, and I believe I’ll see the
day when they will be ‘top’ names on any bluegrass festival. Super good
CD. Off it goes to the Rural Roots Music Commission, who I know like
new young players just as much as I do. “Tradition’ can sometimes be a
hard word to describe, but it sure is relevant to everything Jonah and
Grayson are doing with their music. Thanks for the nice bass too dad.
of Bluegrass music. This genre is the only thing we have going these
days that still reflects the honesty and sincerity of ‘true’ songwriting
and rural and mountain musical expression. The traditional nature in
which Jonah puts these songs forward with his super banjo playing, with
just as much honesty and sincerity as the song itself., is amazing. I
was so happy to see Jimmy Martin’s great song “Sunny Side of the
Mountain” on this remarkable CD. Jimmy was a good friend of mine, we go
back a long ways, and this young Grayson Riddle (Jonah’s 12-year old
brother and lead vocalist & guitarist) is following right in his
footsteps. Grayson is not growing old and gray yet, but he sure has
that ‘feel’ for the song, the same ‘feel’ Jimmy Martin had, one of the
most proficient ‘true’ in-your-face bluegrass performers ever. I loved
him dearly. And guess what, I love the way Jonah Riddle is ‘throwing’
himself into this musical genre, and doing it with a passion very very
few ‘pop’ artists have these days. Take note, his brother Grayson is
going to be a top vocalist. Together, much like the Everly Brothers did
with their music, the Riddle’s can, and will, take the ‘traditional
bluegrass’ music scene to themselves. They have already established
themselves as a musical force to deal with, and I believe I’ll see the
day when they will be ‘top’ names on any bluegrass festival. Super good
CD. Off it goes to the Rural Roots Music Commission, who I know like
new young players just as much as I do. “Tradition’ can sometimes be a
hard word to describe, but it sure is relevant to everything Jonah and
Grayson are doing with their music. Thanks for the nice bass too dad.
RECORD REVIEW BY BOB EVERHART – Pres., National Traditional Music Assn.
www.music-savers.com – for Country Music News International