Hi, there... This page is part of the Slipcue guide to various bluegrass artists, which is part of a much larger Hick Music website. This "guide" is not meant to be comprehensive or authoritative, just a quick look at a few records I've heard recently, as well as some old favorites. Comments or corrections are invited... and recommendations are always welcome!
This page covers the letter "G"
Beppe Gambetta/Various Artists "Dialogs" (1989)
Beppe Gambetta & Tony Trischka "Alone & Together" (Brambus, 1992)
Beppe Gambetta "Good News From Home" (Green Linnet, 1995)
Beppe Gambetta & Carlo Aonzo "Serenata" (1997)
Beppe Gambetta & Dan Crary "Synergia" (Thunderation, 2000)
David Grisman/Beppe Gambetta/Carlo Aonzo "Traversata: Italian Music In America" (Acoustic Disc, 2001)
One of those great little records that only newgrass maestro David Grisman could or would put out -- lavish, luscious modern renditions of instrumental gems written by Italian immigrants after the turn of the 20th Century. Many songs feature Beppe Gambetta on the harp-guitar, a gigantic, grandly baroque instrument favored by Italian performers of the era; Carlo Aonzo helps out on second mandolin. Grisman, who has been delving into this little-known wellspring of mandolin music, also is in fine form. The album includes excellent liner notes about composers whose names might otherwise be lost to us today. (My big surprise: jazz guitar whiz Eddie Lang was actually an Italian-American, born Salvatore Massaro, at the turn of the century in Philly... Live and learn!)
Beppe Gambetta "Blu Di Genova" (Gadfly, 2003)
Italian flatpicker Beppe Gambetta whirls out a nice set of acoustic guitar instrumentals and pleasantly Gambetta-ized bluegrass oldies and adapted Genovan folk tunes. He starts off playing solo acoustic, then picks up several high-powered pals, including former member of the Byrds, Gene Parsons, and newgrass guitarist Dan Crary. Crary and Gambetta share a special wavelength, as heard on the dynamic duet, "Shenandoah Valley Breakdown." He drifts pretty decisively away from the bluegrass sound on most of this album, but the Italian material is also pretty interesting, and his melding of the two styles should get guitar fans all hot and bothered. Nice stuff... worth checking out!
Beppe Gambetta & The Men Of Steel "Live" (Thunderation, 2003)
With Dan Crary, Tony McManus and Don Ross...
Beppe Gambetta "Slade Stomp" (Toomuch, 2007)
Beppe Gambetta/Various Artists "Rendez-Vous" (Gadfly, 2008)
Jeremy Garrett "I Am A Stranger" (Sugar Hill, 2009)
(Produced by Jeremy Garrett)
A solo album from the fiddler and singer of the Infamous Stringdusters... A nice, mellow mix of subdued, melodic truegrass and plaintive honky-tonk heartsongs, hearkening back to the sweeter, slower stuff by folks such as Jean Shepard and Webb Pierce. The best modern comparison might be to Ricky Skaggs, showing the same heartfelt appreciation for the sentimental side of old-fashioned twang. Garrett might not be the most powerful vocalist, but he's a mighty fine fiddler and clearly an accomplished student of hillbilly roots music. Nice stuff -- definitely worth checking out!
Jimmy Gaudreau "The Gaudreau Mandolin Album" (Puritan, 1978)
A zippy, zingy, really fun set of mandolin-led instrumental numbers, with J.D. Crowe, Fred Pike, Bobby Sloane and others pitching in... Gaudreau takes center stage, though, and his mandolin work is some of the sweetest you'll ever hear. Plenty of traditional 'grass material here, but also some fine adaptations from elsewhere in the musical landscape, notably a boozy rendition of country's "Last Date" and a gorgeous, lighthearted take on "Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring," from the classical canon. Nice stuff... Recommended, if you can track it down!
Jimmy Gaudreau "Live In Holland" (Strictly Country, 1995)
Jimmy Gaudreau "In Good Company" (CMH, 2006)
Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein "2:10 Train" (Rebel, 2008)
The Gibson Brothers "Another Night Of Waiting" (Hay Holler, 1998)
The Gibson Brothers "Spread Your Wings" (Bluewater, 2000)
The Gibson Brothers "Bona Fide" (Sugar Hill, 2002)
The Gibson Brothers, Eric and Leigh -- who are not to be confused with the soul group of the same name -- have forged a distinctive sound that builds on the singer-songwriter inclinations of the '70s progressive 'grass scene, fitting as comfortably into the "Americana" label as into the truegrass category. Their vocals are pretty rough -- no classic harmonies or smooth solos here -- but the songwriting is high-calibre and their delivery is compelling, and the musicianship that buoys them is fairly top-notch, even if it's not particularly chopsy. When I first heard this disc, I was a little nonplussed, but revisiting it a few months later, I kinda got into it and am now of the opinion that this is one of the most original 'grass-oriented bands around.
The Gibson Brothers "Long Way Back Home" (Sugar Hill, 2004)
One of the most refreshingly original and pleasant-sounding new albums in the Americana and bluegrass fields... The Gibsons place solid 'grassy picking inside a warm, good-natured country-folk fusion, refining the efforts made by progressive newgrassers in the 1970s, hitting the magical stride that folks like Earl Scruggs and New Grass Revival were looking for all those years. In addition to a tone of finely-crafted originals, they also have several well-chosen covers, such as a version of The Band's "Ophelia" and "Satan's Jeweled Crown," from the Louvin Brothers catalogue. Bluegrass purists in search of hot picking and drag-race instrumental pyrotechnics won't like this album, but for folks who are interested in hearing new, well-written material and who are open to singer-songwriter influences, this album will be a long-lived favorite. Highly recommended!
The Gibson Brothers "Red Letter Day" (Sugarhill, 2006)
Another great record by this innovative, latter-day brother duo. Interestingly, while their previous album shone as a canny pop-bluegrass-country fusion, here the Gibsons have retraced their steps and dug back into the earthier side of the bluegrass tradition, with a raspier, more rugged sound that readily brings Del McCoury to mind. And that's just fine by me. But even while they're going old-school there's plenty of room for original material, as well as some funky covers of country oldies and rock/R&B numbers such as "Lonesome Number One," the Rolling Stones' "It's All Over Now," and "I Got A Woman," from the Ray Charles catalog. All in all, a pretty fine record... Worth checking out!
The Gibson Brothers "Iron And Diamonds" (Sugar Hill, 2008)
(Produced by the Gibson Brothers & Mike Barber)
True-blue torchbearers of the country-tinged folk-grass tradition of hippie-era bands such as New Grass Revival and the Seldom Scene, the Gibson Brothers -- Eric and Leigh -- have recorded one solid album after another, and Iron And Diamonds may be their best to date. Stepping back a bit from the pop-tinged material of the last few years, here they deliver a pure acoustic set, one that zeros in one their greatest strengths: their deep roots in the style, their knack for crafting simple, pure melodies, and their spotless brother-act vocal harmonies. Everything on this album flows smoothly-- each song is a gem, and the transitions from track to track are seamless. This is one of those records that winds up in the CD player for week after week -- you keep thinking you'll take it out and move on to something new, but somehow it keeps popping up, sounding better each time it spins around.
The Gillis Brothers "Ice Cold Stone" (Hay Holler, 1992)
The Gillis Brothers "Down By The River" (Hay Holler, 1992)
The Gillis Brothers "Sunshine In The Snow" (Hay Holler, 1993)
The Gillis Brothers "Heart And Soul" (Rebel, 1995)
Nice stuff! These fellas mix the old-school, plaintive vocals with a crisp, low-key instrumental attack -- understated, but irresistible. This is a really fine set, well worth checking out. Some sweet, simple harmonies, too, and a nice mix of heart songs and gospel tunes. Recommended.
The Gillis Brothers "The Best Of The Gillis Brothers" (Hay Holler, 2005)
The Good Old Boys "Pistol Packin' Mama" (Round Records, 1976)
(Produced by Jerry Garcia)
Longhaired hippie bluegrass at its finest... The presence of the Dreadful Grate's Jerry Garcia as the album's producer ensured a wide listenership among certain segments of the rock scene, and (at least up here in Northern California) fairly wide distribution of this 'Seventies classic... Good thing, too: this record's pretty damn satisfying. Pure, twangy, all-acoustic truegrass that stretches into country material such as Joe Maphis' "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke," Johnnie And Jack's "Ashes Of Love" and Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama," alongside bluegrass standards such as "Toy Heart" and new stuff like "Glendale Train." The picking is solid from start to finish -- mandolinist Frank Wakefield was well-liked by many on the bluegrass scene, but recorded only sparingly -- his duet with banjoist Don Reno, on "Banjo Signal," is a real scorcher, and the rest of the album, with some sweet licks on the fiddle from Chubby Wise, sizzles as well. Recommended!
The Good Old Persons "The Good Old Persons" (Bay Records, 1977)
A landmark early album from the SF Bay Area bluegrass scene, featuring future solo artists Kathy Kallick and Laurie Lewis... A fun mix of bluegrass and old-timey music, along with a touch of jazzy swing.
The Grasshoppers "The Grasshoppers" (Doobie Shea, 2000)
A nice solid, bouncily melodic bluegrass set, with heavy country leanings. Lead singer Honi Glenn has a nice light snarl that places her in the general vicinity of Claire Lynch and Rhonda Vincent... The backing band, including several of her family members, is rock solid, too, with Dan Tyminski dropping in and out of several tracks. Nice stuff!
Grasstowne "The Road Headin' Home" (Pinecastle, 2007)
A great country-tinged progressive bluegrass set, with a ton of talent in an all-star lineup: mandolinist Alan Bibey, guit-picker Steve Gulley and resophonist Phil Leadbetter team up with fiddler Jason Davis and bassist Lee Sawyer rounding out the band... That makes for some mighty fine picking, and even finer harmony vocals, especially when you also bring guests like Dale Ann Bradley and Stuart Duncan into the mix as well. The song selection is uniformly killer: this is the kind of sleek, soulful, rootsy sound that I really dig, and the fact that so much of it is original material makes it even better. Gulley contributes three songs, and co-writes a fourth, the haunting "That's Not What Ships Are For," which I'd say is a highlight of the album. Throughout, one is reminded of the heyday of 1970s newgrass, with eclectic folk-country influences laced in with excellent musicianship. This disc is definitely worth checking out!
Grasstowne "The Other Side Of Towne" (Pinecastle, 2009)
Grateful Dead "Workingman's Dead" (Warner, 1970)
Well sure, maybe this isn't a proper "bluegrass" album, but what with Jerry Garcia's later involvement in Old & In The Way, and the overall backwoods vibe of this album, it's certainly a major link from the hippie rock scene into the world of country and folk. Plus, it's one of the Dead's best (and most accessible) albums, recorded when they were at their poppy peak. A classic album, with a big old Appalachian streak running right through it. Totally worth checking out.
Josh Graves & Kenny Baker "The Puritan Sessions" (Rebel, 1989)
A lovely reissue of two albums originally recorded for the Puritan record label, Something Different, from 1972, and 1973's Bucktime, pairing fiddler Kenny Baker up with dobro guru Josh Graves. These sessions are notable not only for the fluid, sympathetic interplay between two mellow-minded old-timers, but also for the chance to hear Baker playing guitar -- which he had to stop doing after an accident in 1977 that damaged the nerves in his left hand. And lemme tell you: it sure sounds sweet! A great mix of songs and rather adventurous instrumentals... well worth tracking this disc down!
The Greenbriar Boys "Best Of The Vanguard Years" (Vanguard, 2002)
The Greenbriar Boys -- featuring John Herald, Ralph Rinzler, Bob Yellin and Frank Wakefield -- were one of the most influential bands of the '60s bluegrass revival, helping bridge the gap between the semi-retired old-timers of the '40s and '50s and the eager young'uns of the early '60s folk boom, who wanted to soak up as much "authentic" hillbilly culture as they possibly could. In the early days of the Greenwich Village-based earnest folkie college/coffeehouse scene, what you knew was, quite frankly, more important than how well you could play it, and like many of the would-be bluegrassers of the time, the Greenbriar Boys did sound a bit ricketty from time to time. That was okay, though... their hearts were in the right place, and they had fun digging up material like the historically-oriented ballads such as "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight" and pop culture goofs like Wayne Raney's "We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock and Roll)." This generously programmed 2-CD set collects material from their influential LPs on the Vanguard label, recorded between 1961-66, and charts the group's rapid progress from a somewhat awkward-sounding (but very enthusiastic) ensemble into a more, cohesive professional band. When Rinzler left the group in order to devote himself fulltime to booking shows and promoting events, hotshot mandolin whiz Frank Wakefield came in and added some extra instrumental ooompf. Fans of the New Lost City Ramblers and those interested in the history of the modern bluegrass scene should definitely check this collection out -- it's a nice glimpse into the innocent early years, and definitely shows these guys at their best.
The Greenbriar Boys "Big Apple Bluegrass" (Vanguard, 2003)
More nice stuff from these sleek city slickers. If the Best Of set above piqued your interest, this disc is a nice follow-up, including a few album tracks left of the other set, as well as a bunch of previously unreleased material for the hardcore fans to savor.
The Greencards "Viridian" (Dualtone, 2007)
A lovely, pretty-sounding set with contemporary folk overtones, ala Be Good Tanyas, along with some satisfying, straight-ahead bluegrass, and a bit of Celtic coloring thrown in for good measure. Bassist Carol Young has the strongest presence, adding fine vocals to some of the more less bluegrass-y tunes, although the guys kick in on vocals as well, and all the bandmembers contribute strong original material. You can draw comparisons to other contemporary style-stretchers: some of the gruffer male vocals evoke Dan Tyminski's work with Union Station, and there's a little bit of Nickel Creek in the folk-pop elements as well, although much to their credit, the Greencards are far less stagey and self-important than those chartmakers, and less anchored to the "adult pop" market. There's still a sense of spontaneity and joyful fun here that will be instantly appealing, and the group's diversity and mastery of styles makes this feel like a nice freeform folk radio show. This is a band that a lot of fans are going to latch onto over the next few years.
The Greencards "Fascination" (Sugar Hill, 2009)
I am probably not the right person to ask about this record. When I first heard it, I was inclined to say something favorable, about how they were being creative, and expanding the boundaries of their genre, etc. etc. But when I came back to it, I just had to admit it was impossibly pretentious and musically forced. Distinctive and attention-getting, yes, but also quite forced. It's just too lofty and overdone, really, too self-consciously poetic and artful, and too naked a bid to stake out turf on the same "adult-alt" folk-pop terrain as Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek. Admittedly, I suppose if you are a fan of that genre, this would be welcome -- I found it cluttered and loud; it made me uneasy listening to it. Towards the end, I had an epiphany, as on one song the male-female harmonies kicked in and I realized that, on that track, they sounded a bit like Fleetwood Mac, and I realized that they probably meant to. The trouble is, they moved straight past Rumours right into the Stevie Nicks solo years... Just not my cup of tea, I guess.
Richard Greene "The Grass Is Greener" (Rebel, 1995)
The sprightly debut of Greene's all-star, all-instrumental ensemble. This edition of the band features newgrass stalwarts such Bill Keith and David Grier, as well as a couple of talented young'uns (Kenny Blackwell on mandolin, Tim Emmons plunking the bass...) The overall vibe is cheerful and pleasantly melodic... A nice little record!
Richard Greene "The Wolves A'Howlin' " (Rebel, 1996)
Richard Greene "Sales Tax Toddle" (Rebel, 1997)
Here Greene includes several vocal tunes in honor of the recently-departed Bill Monroe, with his old pal (and bandmate in the late-'60s edition of the Blue Grass Boys, and later in Earth Opera) Peter Rowan chiming in on guitar and vocals. Sonny Osborne, Tony Trischka, David Greir and Butch Baldassari are the heavyweights who round out this band; bassist Buell Neidlinger brings up the rear and rounds out the sound. It's another goodle.
David Grisman -- see artist discography
Steve Gulley "Sounds Like Home" (Lonesome Day Records, 2007)
Super-sweet, melodic bluegrass from a former member of Doyle Lawson's Quicksilver, and former lead singer of Mountain Heart... SInger-guitarist Steve Gulley plays it pure and clear, with several new, original numbers and a bunch of classics from the canon... Some of his old buddies chime in here as well, including the fellas from Mountain Heart, Lawson, and Dale Ann Bradley, who adds some gorgeous harmony and duet vocals on a couple of tunes. This disc is solid from start to finish -- mostly traditional, mostly secular, though with some well-chosen gospel material, and fine pickin' throughout. If you want any proof of the strength of the independent bluegrass scene, look no further. Records like this give lots of hope for the future... Come to think of it... the present sounds mighty nice as well!
Bluegrass Albums - Letter "H"
