Railroad Earth "Black Bear Sessions" (Bos Music, 2001)

Railroad Earth "Bird In A House" (Sugar Hill Records, 2002)
For those who really, truly, deeply feel that the Grateful Dead's Cumberland Blues album was just too damn short, comes this latter-day acoustic jam-band outing. Vocalist Todd Scheaffer has the plaintive, broken-voiced Jerry-soundalike thing down pat, particularly on the album's title track, which has a fragile, "Box Of Rain" appeal to it. This stuff is obviously not for the Dead-adverse or hippie-dippie impaired, but for it's good for what it is. Interesting crossover of bluegrass and poetic hippie folk.

Railroad Earth "The Good Life" (Sugar Hill Records, 2004)
Mellow music for grown-up hippiedelic tree-huggers. This super-cutesy, eclectic mix of bouncy folk, bluegrass and Celtic pop is tailor made soft-pop for the more sedate, Deadhead-ier end of the jam band spectrum, with long songs that dig deep into sugary acoustic grooves. I'll admit it's kinda goopy, and lead singer Todd Scheaffer is sounding even more like Arlo Guthrie with every passing day -- not just in tone, but also in temperament -- still, there are some songs on here that are kind of irresistible and catchy, and I can definitely see the appeal. Folks looking for a band that's a little twangy yet easy on the ears can find safe haven here.

Railroad Earth "Elko" (Sci Fidelity Records, 2006)
A 2-CD live album...

Railroad Earth "Amen Corner" (Sci Fidelity Records, 2008)

Missy Raines & Jim Hurst "Two" (Pinecastle Records, 2000)

Missy Raines "My Place In The Sun" (Mr. Records, 2008)

Missy Raines & The New Hip "Inside Out" (Compass Records, 2009)
(Produced by Missy Raines & Ben Surratt)
Not surprisingly, bluegrass bassist Missy Raines tilts towards the funky and melodic as a bandleader: there's probably no way to avoid it, since every bassist in America just has to learn the "Barney Miller" theme song when they start out, and that's a hard template to shake. This disc alternates between vocal numbers (which are very sweet; Raines has a lovely, inviting voice) and muzak-y instrumental numbers... The too-cute fusion instrumentals don't do much for me (I'd rather hear a few straight-ahead bluegrass breakdowns...) but fans of Bela Fleck, et. al. will dig it. The tracks where she sings are great, though, and fit in nicely with a wide variety of folk/Americana styles. Worth checking out.

Roy J. Raines "Old Time Fiddlin' Bluegrass Style" (Ozark Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by D. E. Reno)
A back-to-basics, down-home old-timey trio from Columbia, Missouri, spotlighting fiddler Roy J. Raines (1914-2004) along with banjo plunker Nelson Raines and guitarist Ernest Western... Raines grew up in Camden and Morgan counties, in the area surrounding Osage Beach and the Lake Of The Ozarks, and according to the liner notes, the Raines family had deep musical roots: Roy's father won a national fiddling championship in 1937, and Roy picked up the instrument when quite young, later playing in a regional hoedown band called The Missouri Round-Up Boys. There are a plenty of classic fiddle tunes on here -- "Bill Cheatum," "Grey Eagle," "Eighth Of January," etc. -- but also a few less well-known numbers, such as "Comin' Down From Denver" and "Flat Rock." As far as I know, this was Mr. Raines's only album.

The Rarely Herd "Midnight Loneliness" (Pinecastle Records, 1992)

The Rarely Herd "Heartbreak City" (Pinecastle Records, 1994)

The Rarely Herd "Pure Homemade Love" (Pinecastle Records, 1995)

Rarely Herd "What About Him" (Pinecastle Records, 1997)
This bluegrass gospel album is a little too folkie and polite for me... It's heartfelt as can be, but there's not enough of a high lonesome feel here for me to be drawn in. Still, for folks looking for new material, stuff that breaks out of the traditional country gospel canon, this may offer some inspiring original material.

The Rarely Herd "Coming Of Age" (Pinecastle Records, 1998)

The Rarely Herd "Part Of Growing Up" (Pinecastle Records, 2000)
Sweet, solid picking, although the songs are often a bit wordy and very much About Something (steel mills, historical events, nostalgia for golden days gone by, etc.) There are a few tracks on here where they lighten up a bit, though, notably on the excellent heart song, "Perfect Fool," and on a trio of fine instrumentals, but the gabbier numbers do creak and groan a little around the edges. Still, it's pretty much top-flight material overall.

The Rarely Herd "Return Journey" (2004)

Marty Raybon "Full Circle" (Doobie Shea Records, 2003)
Ricky Skaggs, much? A slick but soulful mix of bluegrass picking and country craftsmanship, ex-Shenandoah leader Marty Raybon's new album takes him into mountain music territory, starting off on a reasonably traditional tone, then quickly leaping into more ornate grass-fusion, ala Skaggs and Krauss. The thing is, he's pretty good at it. Since he's used to tackling overwritten, high-falutin' Nashville-style material, Raybon can still deliver the goods when the formula is transposed into a bluegrass context. This comes pretty close to sounding like straight-out Nashville schmaltz, but folks looking for a good set of sappy story-songs will probably be pleased with this disc. Worth checking out!

James Reams "Kentucky Songbird" (Leghorn Records, 1994)

James Reams "The Blackest Crow" (2000)

James Reams & Walter Hensley "The Barons Of Bluegrass" (Copper Creek Records, 2002)

James Reams & The Barnstormers "Barnstormin' " (Copper Creek Records, 2001)
An exaggerated twang and kinda clunky phrasing are the hallmarks of Reams's vocal style, but the understated accompaniment and healthy dips back into the musical traditions of the pre-recording era make this an oddly compelling album. Doesn't really knock your socks off, but it's charming and has some great old songs.

James Reams & The Barnstormers "Troubled Times" (Mountain Redbird Records, 2005)

Red Rector & Norman Blake "Norman Blake And Red Rector" (Country Records, 1976) (LP)

Red Clay Ramblers "Twisted Laurel" (Flying Fish Records, 1976)
The ever-versatile Red Clay Ramblers don't always fit perfectly into the "bluegrass" or "folk" boxes, what with with that confounded piano and the occasional kazoo; they don't stick strictly to the banjo-fiddle-mandolin template of Bill Monroe and his acolytes, but their mastery of Antebellum and Gilded Age pop places them squarely in the same sentimentalist traditions as the truegrass forefathers. The Ramblers reach back far into the American pop and folk legacies, drawing on sources that date back well before the 20th Century. Twisted Laurel ably showcases their diverse strengths: they pick and plunk along with the best of them, veer into vaudevillian vocal ditties, traditional tunes with a Stephen Foster lilt, as well as goofy original novelty tunes like "The Ace," which have a distinct air of Cheap Suit Serenaders zaniness. And, of course, a Carter Family tune or two, along with the Jimmie Rodgers classic, "Mississippi Delta Blues," which is completely in line with their old-timely leanings. Fun stuff, though certainly not your standard-issue stringband material.

Red Clay Ramblers "Merchants Lunch" (Flying Fish Records, 1977)
The Ramblers get more overtly stoner-y and goofy on this album, balancing jug band blues with old-timey breakdowns such as "Forked Deer" and Uncle Dave Macon's "Rabbit In The Peach Patch" with nutty novelty tunes like the title track. Another winner, if you ask me, although I can see why it would get on some folk's nerves.

Red Clay Ramblers "Meeting In The Air" (Flying Fish Records, 1980)
The Ramblers have put a lot of great records out, modernizing the old stringband sound in surprising and playful ways. This disc -- a beautiful tribute to the Carter Family -- is probably my favorite of all their albums, and one which hews most closely to the original, traditional feel of the music. The Ramblers capture perfectly the heartfelt sentimentality of the old Carter Family albums, and if anything, on the softer love songs such as "One Little Word" and "Are You Tired of Me My Darling?" they are able bring a greater resonance to the material than the ever-craggy Carters did in the original versions. Gentle and sublime.

The Red Fox Chasers "I'm Going Down To North Carolina -- The Complete Recordings Of The Red Fox Chasers: 1928-1931" (Tompkins Square Records, 2009)

The Red Mountain White Trash "Fire In The Dumpster" (Whoop It Up! Records, 1995)

The Red Mountain White Trash "Chickens Don't Roost Too High" (Whoop It Up! Records, 1999)

The Red Mountain White Trash "Sweet Bama" (Whoop It Up! Records, 2002)

Red, White & Blue(Grass) "Guaranteed" (GRC Records, 1973)
Ginger and Grant Boatwright originally hailed from Birmingham, Alabama, but when they moved up North to join the folk scene in Chicago, they morphed into RW&BG, one of the most experimental and commercially successful of the progressive 'grass bands in the early '70s. Their first album featured stellar picking by banjoist Dale Whitcomb and multi-instrumental whiz kid Norman Blake, who contributed plenty of hot licks and some sweet original songs as well, including his own "Ginseng Sullivan" (later recorded, in a much more satisfying version, by guitarist Tony Rice). Along with a few dazzling instrumentals, the album's musical highlight is a perky rendition of John Stewart's classic, "July, You're A Woman." More controversial were the band's stabs at a grass-classical fusion, heard in the oceanic orchestral prelude to the otherwise rootsy "Linda Ann," which features some fine vocals by Blake (despite an overall goopiness which makes the song seem a bit sluggish...) The CD reissue (also called Guaranteed) includes several bonus tracks which are listed as "previously unreleased," although I'm pretty sure I remember some of them, such as their lavish rendition of Stephen Stills' "Love The One You're With" coming from the band's second album, which I also owned as a kid... This album has its odd moments, but is definitely an honest document of its time, and has a lot of real charm to it. (See also: Ginger Boatright.)

Red, White & Blue(Grass) "Pickin' Up" (GRC Records, 1974)
(Produced by Larry Cox)
This was a fairly staid set, certainly not as dynamic or as crossover-oriented as their debut, but it's still a solid bluegrass album, kicking off with a couple of Bill Monroe oldies and moving into a set that includes a couple of Ginger Boatwright originals and a couple by banjoist Dale Whitcomb, a countrypolitan ballad ("The Last Day") by bassist Dave Sebolt, closing with fairly conservative reworkings of gospel standards such as "Amazing Grace" and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken." There are two great fiddlers on this album: Byron Berline joins Vassar Clements, playing both twin fiddles and solos... No more Norman Blake, but it's cool, since he went on to do such cool stuff as a solo artist. Overall, this is a pretty conservative, reserved record... probably the most interesting song is the jug band oldie, "Fixin' To Die" (which Clements brought to the band) where Boatwright gets into some really bluesy vocals. Maybe this was a bit of a letdown from their debut, but it's easy on the ears.

Reeltime Travelers "Reeltime Travelers" (Yodel-Ay-Hee Records, 2000)

Reeltime Travelers "Livin' Reeltime, Thinkin' Old-Time" (Yodel-Ay-Hee Records, 2002)
A pleasantly rugged, boisterous old-timey band, hailing from the outer reaches of Tennessee. With odd vocals and unusual rhythms galore, this is a disc worth checking out, if you're a confirmed old-timey fan. (For more info, the band can be reached at their website, www.reeltimetravelers.com.)

Lou Reid, Mike Auldridge & Michael Coleman "High Time" (Sugar Hill Records, 1990)

Lou Reid "When It Rains" (Sugar Hill Records, 1991)

Lou Reid, Terry Baucom & Carolina "Carolina Moon" (Sugar Hill Records, 1993)

Lou Reid "Lou Reid & Carolina" (Rebel Records, 1996)

Lou Reid & Carolina "Blue Heartache" (Rebel Records, 2000)
These folks are a little shaky around the edges, perhaps, but another nice, heartfelt truegrass ensemble. On his own, lead singer (and mandolinist) Reid sounds a little tremulous; add banjo plunker Gena Britt in as a harmony singer, and things start to warm up. The group tends to play in a relaxed style, which is nice in some ways, but also contributes to the sense that they are a little on the sleepy side. Still, if you tilt towards sentimental material, old heartsongs and the like, this might be a very fine choice to fill out your listening plans... Besides, anyone who covers songwriter Paul Craft (the title track) is alright by me.

Lou Reid & Carolina "Time" (Lonesome Day Records, 2005)

Lou Reid & Carolina "Carolina, I'm Coming Home" (LRC Records, 2003)

Lou Reid & Carolina "My Own Set Of Rules" (Rural Rhythm Records, 2009)

John Reischman "North Of The Border" (Rounder Records, 1993)

John Reischman "Up In The Woods" (Corvus Records, 2000)
A friendly, pleasant, more-traditional-than-not instrumental set, featuring bright fretwork work by West Coast mandolinist John Reischman, joined by high-power pals such as Rob Ickes, Kathy Kallick, Scott Nygaard and Todd Phillips... Not mindbending, but very pleasant.

John Reischman & John Miller "The Bumpy Road" (Corvus Records, 2002)

John Reischman & The Bluejays "The Road West" (Corvus Records, 2005)

John Reischman & The Bluejays "Stellar Jays" (Corvus Records, 2007)

Reno & Smiley "The Talk Of The Town" (Westside Records, 1999)
Banjo whiz Don Reno and guitarist Red Smiley were one of the most dynamic and bluegrass acts of the 1950s, singing zippy songs that framed Smiley's dense, deft fingerpicking and Reno's breathtaking banjo work. In the 1940s, Reno just barely missed out on a slot as the plunker in Bill Monroe's Blue Grass boys, so history pegs him as a following in the footsteps of the great Earl Scruggs, although in fact Reno had developed his similarly dazzling banjo style right around the same time as Scruggs had, and was no less amazing. When you hear these classic tracks from the duo's King Records days, Reno's three-finger style will make your jaw drop... This excellent UK import supplants various '70s LPs that covered the same turf, collecting hit songs such as "I'm Using My Bible For A Roadmap" and "I Know You're Married," as well as compact little instrumental H-bombs like "Crazy Finger Tune" and "Choking The Strings," and the hillbilly classic, "Country Boy Rock'n'Roll." It's all great stuff; if you can find this disc, don't hesitate to snap it up.

Reno & Smiley "A Variety Of Country Songs" (King Records, 1959)
Throughout the vinyl years, from the 1960s, '70s and '80s, this disc, with its simple cover photo of a pile of old, dry leaves, was one of the standard-issue Reno & Smiley albums that one could regularly find floating about, in one version or another. It's fitting that it made it into the digital era as well, not just for the comfort of the familiar, but also because it's such a great album. Old-fashioned sentiment and rock-solid picking combine for an authoritative reading of this even dozen heartsongs, gospel tunes and Southern nostalgia. Highly recommended!

Reno & Smiley "16 Greatest Gospel Hits" (Highland Records, 1987)
Their gospel recordings on King/Gusto have always had a way of staying in print, or at least popping up with great regularity over the years. Which is just fine, since this is some of the best bluegrass gospel you're ever likely to hear. A very smooth, professional presentation, but also still soulful and heartfelt... These guys really knew their stuff. But, hey, don't just take my word for it: check it out for yourself!

Reno & Smiley "On The Air" (Copper Creek Records, 1996)
There's good old-fashioned work-the-crowd showmanship and hot picking galore on these brisk, brief radio appearances, from back when artists were typically slotted into fifteen-minute segments, and had to learn quick how to make the most of their on-air time. Reno & Smiley definitely mastered that art, and these 1957-60 airshots are packed with down-home charm and rip-roaring instrumental power. Young Ronnie Reno is button-cute singing his little heart out on " 'Lasses," at the tender age of ten, just one of many endearing moments on this fine disc, documenting a top bluegrass act at the height of its powers, at the tail end of the Golden Age. Recommended!

Reno & Smiley "Together Again" (Rebel Records, 1971/2006)
A welcome reissue of a bluegrass holy grail, the lone album recorded by Don Reno and Red Smiley following their early 1970s reunion. The famed duo -- one of the great acts of the 1950s "golden age" -- had amicably split up in 1964, with each man pursuing his own career while the once-bustling truegrass scene slowly ground to a halt by decade's end. Then, as the festival era began, they were reunited onstage, which led to Don Reno and his new partner Bill Harrell asking Smiley to join their act. He did, and the new lineup of the Tennessee Cut-Ups (with Buck Ryan and Jerry McCoury rounding out the sound) recorded this solid, low-key LP for the Rome Records label. Smiley passed away a few months later, the health troubles that had dogged him for years finally laying him low, and the Reno-Harrell combo went on to become a mainstay of the early '70s scene. The album floated around for a while, but like many 'grass discs back then it was on a teeny indie label and soon fell out of print, later becoming highly prized by a small cadre of true-believer fans. Well, now it's back in print (thanks, Rebel...!) and all the rest of us can hear the disc in its full fidelity... and it's pretty darn good. It doesn't exactly have the same live-wire sizzle of some of the best Reno & Smiley classics, but it's a nice, solid set of standards and newer material, the work of assured craftsmen, traditionalists who knew what they were doing. Nice stuff!

Reno & Smiley "Tree Of Life" (BACM, 2005)
A mostly-gospel set... (Available through the British Archive of Country Music website.)

Don Reno & Bill Harrell "Home In The Mountains" (CMH Records, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Arthur Smith)
A typically masterful CMH album, classic material recorded by calm, confident old pros. The picking isn't very flashy, but it doesn't need to be -- these are soulful performances, not throwdowns, and Don Reno certainly proved himself as a super-picker decades earlier, and doesn't need to prove anything to anybody. So, it's all about the songs, and they are all very fine, with rich, heartfelt performances. The younger generation is represented by Dale Reno on mandolin -- who would have been fifteen or sixteen at the time -- while Buck Ryan also adds some sweet fiddle licks. As far as the songs go, they're mostly pretty standard material (which, in this case means quite good) though one track stands out, mostly as a weird novelty number, Don Reno's "Booked In Advance," about a guy who doesn't have time for anything or anybody, 'cause his fate is already sealed... Another nice record from the Reno & Harrell band.

Don Reno & Eddie Adcock "Sensational Twin Banjos" (Rebel Records, 1992)

Don Reno "Fastest Five Strings Alive" (Hollywood Records, 1994)

Don Reno "The Golden Guitar Of Don Reno" (King Records, 1999)
These solo flatpicking pieces, which sat in the vaults since 1972, aren't electrifying in and of themselves, but they do show that Reno was still a master of his craft, even in the early days of the newgrass revival. Probably of more interest to guitar pickers than the average listener; technically solid, but a little lackluster in comparison to his best work. Considering that this was actually overdubbed in the 1990s with new, added instrumental backup before being released, it's a remarkably restrained album.

Don Reno "Founding Father Of The Bluegrass Banjo" (CMH Records, 2001)

Don Wayne Reno "Heroes" (Pinecastle Records, 1998)

Ronnie Reno "For The First Time" (MCA/Tally Records, 1975)
(Produced by Bill Compton & Jim Williamson)
In the mid-1970s, country superstar Merle Haggard presided over a corporate echo of Fuzzy Owens' old Tally label, using the imprint to put out a couple of albums featuring Haggard pals and proteges. In this case, it was the solo debut of bluegrass prodigy Ronnie Reno, who became a member of Haggard's band in '73 and stayed with him for the better part of a decade. Ronnie was the son of '50s truegrass legend Don Reno, and worked in his dad's band as a kid, then did a stint with the Osborne Brothers before giving Nashville a shot. At this point in his career, he was writing and pitching songs, some of which Haggard recorded, and here he crafts a pleasant if not totally amazing set of soft-toned '70s country, including three of his own originals and a couple of Hag's lesser-known numbers, as well as a countrypolitan cover of the Beatles' "Hard Day's Night." There's surprisingly little bluegrass influence here (none, really) which makes this album a curious footnote to a long career: Reno went back to the high lonesome sound, forming the Reno Brothers band with his younger siblings many years later.

Ronnie Reno "Portfolio" (Shell Point Records, 2002)

Ronnie Reno & The Reno Tradition "In Concert" (Shell Point Records, 2004)
Don Reno's son, leading a crackerjack bluegrass crew through a fun live set. The picking is strong and no-nonsense, the vocals are cheerful and inspired... these guys just sound like they were really enjoying themselves... What more can I say? If you enjoy good, strong truegrass albums where the band sounds like it's having a lot of fun, check this one out!

Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen "Out Of The Woodwork" (Rounder Records, 1997)
An acoustic-music supergroup featuring brothers Tony and Larry Rice, along with Chris Hillman (of the Byrds & Desert Rose Band) and Herb Pedersen (Dillards, Desert Rose and a bazillion other country-newgrass-rock projects...) This is a pretty nice record, in which their collective love for and appreciation of old-fashioned country music and harmony singing is made manifestly clear. The song selection is quite nice, and the picking is sprightly, lively and clean... There's more than a whiff of the consummate musicianship of the Bluegrass Album Band records on here, just with a more contemporary feel, with more modern and more country-oriented songs given the deluxe all-star treatment. Features several Chris Hillman compositions, and a few by Larry Rice (which are a bit strained and overly-crafted, in comparison). Overall, this is a very nice record, well worth checking out.

Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen "Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen" (Rounder Records, 1999)
Hmmmm. I'm not gonna make many friends saying this, but I really can't say as this disc did that much for me... There's too much of a precious, genteel, overly-crafted feel to it, somehow... Larry Rice has never really appealed to me as a singer, and Hillman doesn't quite leap to the fore in quite the way we wish he would. Everyone on this band obviously knows their stuff, and this is a nice record, with plenty of nice songs; it just doesn't seem to have much sizzle. This sorta starts out bright and pure, then gets bogged down in folkie prissiness... Oh, well.

Rice, Rice, Hillman & Pedersen "Running Wild" (Rounder Records, 2001)
Larry and Tony Rice team up with Byrds/Dillards vets Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen for a pleasantly low-key set of country-bluegrass ballads. Overall, I'd reluctantly have to admit that this lacks ooompf, but it is a nice reminder of the pioneering crossover work that Hillman and his various crews did in the '70s to help widen the palatte of modern-day hick music fans. A pair of EZ dino-rock covers ("Things We Said Today" and CCNY's "4 +20") are alternately charming and a bit iffy. One interesting is Larry Rice's "The Mystery That Won't Go Away," a CNN-era update of the old topical ballads that once filled traditional music... Only this time, instead of the sinking of the Lusitania or some train crash, it's about the murder of Jon-Benet Ramsay. Worth checking out; they really seem to be hitting their stride on this one...

The Rice Brothers "The Rice Brothers" (Rounder Records, 1989)
Four brothers, all bluegrass pros: guitar god Tony Rice, older sibling Larry on mandolin, Wyatt Rice on second guitar and brother Ron holding down the bass... Lots of mighty fine, traditional truegrass here!

The Rice Brothers "The Rice Brothers" (Rounder Records, 1994) s

Larry Rice "Mr. Poverty" (King Records, 1976) (LP)
This was actually an early edition of the New South band, with mandolinist Larry Rice joined by his younger brothers Tony on guitar, along with J. D. Crowe, Ricky Skaggs and the rest of the New South crew...

Larry Rice "Hurricanes And Daydreams" (Rebel Records, 1985) (LP)

Larry Rice "Time Machine" (Rebel Records, 1987) (LP)

Larry Rice & Wyatt Rice "Larry And Wyatt Rice" (Rebel Records, 1993)

Larry Rice "Artesia" (Rebel Records, 1994)

Larry Rice "Notions And Novelties" (Rebel Records, 1996)

Larry Rice "Clouds Over Carolina" (Rebel Records, 2005)

Larry Rice "If You Only Knew..." (Rebel Records, 2014)
This best-of set draws on five albums recorded my mandolinist Larry Rice, Tony Rice's older brother and a bluegrass stalwart who sadly passed away in 2006. Larry Rice played in a number of bands, and frequently collaborated with his brothers, including on several tracks collected here. It would be difficult not to compare him to his brother, a superpicker and stylistic innovator who set the bar for a generation of bluegrass flatpickers, but the reissue of this material is a nice way to evaluate Larry Rice on his own terms... There is of course a strong family resemblance, in vocal tone and phrasing and in the sweet sentimental mode they gravitate towards. Larry Rice stuck closer to traditional songs and progressive, poetical ballads, not going in for jazz-grass with the same fervor as Tony, and this album is a great collection of beautiful, eloquent vocal numbers -- very nice and very listenable, the kind of album I could listen to again and again for years to come. Several tracks, from his 1987 album, Time Machine, also feature harmonies from Sharon White, and she blends perfectly with Rice's ragged-edged vocals... By all means, pick this one up: it's a delightful collection of a top-notch artist whose work is still cherished by old fans, and waits for new fans to come.

Tony Rice -- see artist discography

Wyatt Rice "New Market Gap" (Rounder Records, 1989)

Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz "Picture In A Tear" (Rounder Records, 1996)

Larry Richardson "I'm Moving Up Home Some Day" (MKB Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Edmonds)

Larry Richardson "Walking And Talking With My Lord" (1974) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Edmonds)

Larry Richardson "Ship Of Zion" (Life Line Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Edmonds)
An old-school bluegrass original, banjo picker and guitarist Larry Richardson (1927-2007) played with Bill Monroe in the early 'Fifties and was also in the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers along with Bobby Osborne, his songwriting partner on several songs the band recorded 'way back in 1950. Richardson later hosted a TV show in Winston-Salem and -- as the liner notes tell us -- got saved in 1970, thereafter devoting himself exclusively to performing Christian music, although he had already recorded quite a few gospel songs in decades past. Mr. Richardson was born in Galax, Virginia and was living in King, North Carolina when this album came out. His band included Alan Bibey on mandolin, Russell Easter, Jr., fiddler Jimmy Edmonds and Wes Golding on guitar on a rock-solid set. (Thanks to PragueFrank, Bluegrass Today and of course Discogs each for filling in different blank spots.)

Brandon Rickman "Young Man, Old Soul" (Rural Rhythm Records, 2009)
A nice solo album from the lead singer of bluegrass music's Lonesome River Band... The album title is a pretty good description of Rickman's sound; he's one of those young guys that has a great, gruff-sounding old-coot type of voice. On this disc he tries to distinguish himself from the LRB by picking a more poetic, introspective style, which at times edges into the slower, nostalgia-drenched more ballad-y side of contemporary Top Forty country (particularly on "I Take The Backroads" and "Wide Spot On The Road"). There's not a lot of full-tilt-boogie bluegrass super-picking here, but really, that's okay -- we can hear plenty of that everywhere else. For me the best (and most traditional-sounding) tracks were a trio of gospel songs, including a Jerry Salley original, "Wearing Her Knees Out Over Me," about a mom who spends years praying for her errant son, and "Let Me Walk Lord, By Your Side," an old Carter Stanley song. Bluegrass songwriter Larry Cordle sings harmony on most of this album (although none of his songs are covered) while most of the other musicians are fairly unknown to me (which I find refreshing, considering how wide the bluegrass talent pool is, and how few people get a chance to record...) One standout performance is a duet vocal by Val Storey, on "Rest For His Workers," another one of those gospel tunes I mentioned... A nice record, worth checking out if you're looking for new voices and new approaches in a genre that seems awfully conventional at times.

Leslie Riddle "Step By Step" (Rounder Records, 1993)
(Produced by Mike Seeger)
Speaking of The Carter Family, here is a lovely disc that a pal of theirs, guitarist/folklorist Lesley Riddle, made during the waning days of the '60s folk revival. Riddle was an African-American performer originally from Burnsville, North Carolina who played in several Depression-era stringbands, notably around Bristol, Tennessee, which became ground zero for the birth of modern country music, back in the late 1920s. Mr. Riddle shared (and sought out) many songs for A.P. Carter to add to the Carter Family's early repertoire -- in fact, you could almost say he was to the Carter Family what George Martin was to the Beatles, acting as a musical mentor to both A.P. and Sara Carter. This disc was the result of some serious song-chasing by Mike Seeger, who brought Riddle out of retirement during the folk revival, and who accompanies him on autoharp. It's truly lovely stuff that shows Riddle gift for delicate lyrical expression, and emotional resonance. This disc is getting harder to find, but is well worth the search.

Don Rigsby "A Vision" (Sugar Hill Records, 1998)
Sweet, solid bluegrass gospel from one of the remarkably talented members of the Lonesome River Band. This album occasionally drifts into sugary southern gospel-ish territory, but mostly keeps things real. A slew of superpicker pals help out, including J.D. Crowe, Ben Isaacs, Ricky Skaggs, et al. Ralph Stanley takes the lead vocals on a nice version of "Rose Among The Thorns." For those open to gospel material, this is a mighty fine album.

Don Rigsby & Dudley Connell "Meet Me By The Moonlight" (Sugar Hill, 1999)

Don Rigsby "Empty Old Mailbox" (Sugar Hill Records, 2000)

Don Rigsby & Dudley Connell "Another Saturday Night" (Sugar Hill Records, 2001)

Don Rigsby "The Midnight Call" (Sugar Hill Records, 2003)

Don Rigsby & Midnight Call "Hillbilly Heartache" (Rebel Records, 2006)
I always greet the arrival of a new Don Rigsby album with anticipation: he's one of the finest, most soulful modern bluegrassers around, he plays a slick, note-perfect style, but it never feels sterile or by-the-numbers. Partly it's due to the infusion of new, original material, as well as the always-rich mix of top-flight musicianship and fine harmony vocals. This disc offers more of the same, a swell set of progressive, country-tinged 'grass, with a nice gospel tune or two and an upbeat feel throughout. Worth checking out!

Don Rigsby & Midnight Call "The Voice Of God" (Rebel Records, 2010)
(Produced by Don Rigsby)
A top-flight bluegrass gospel set, with solid picking, sweet high harmonies, and a tremendous song selection. Rigsby hits all the right notes, both literally and figuratively, with a hefty dose of traditional material and standards by the likes of Albert Brumley, but better still he spotlights powerful new material from a troop of great contemporary songwriters, with fine songs such as "Charged With Being A Christian" by Paul Craft, Skip Ewing's modern-themed "The Gospel According To Luke," Phil Wiggins' "Forgiveness" and a few tunes he wrote himself, including "I Am An Orphan Child," which he co-wrote with Gillian Welch. One highlight is Tom T. Hall's "Then Y'ain't," a pithy, pointed calling-out of anyone who uses religion to say they're better, or smarter, or more holy than anyone else: if you do that, then you ain't got it right. A much-welcome message in these times when religious intolerance seems to divide the world, rather than spirituality unite it; balanced by Rigsby's abiding and undeniable faith, it comes through loud and clear. If you like sanctified twang, this is a really strong record.

Don Rigsby "Doctor's Orders" (Rebel Records, 2013)
(Produced by Don Rigsby)
A truegrass tribute album with songs written by, for and about bluegrass patriarch Dr. Ralph Stanley... The lead track, "The Mountain Doctor," is a direct homage to Stanley and his music, and Dr. Ralph is among several guest performers, singing tenor on "Home In The Mountains," along with Ricky Skaggs, who harmonizes on baritone. Skaggs is one of several alumni of Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys who perform here, including Larry Sparks, Charlie Sizemore and Stanley's longtime guitarist, James Alan Shelton, who plays on most of the tracks. In the liner notes, Rigsby recounts with awe the time he saw a Ralph Stanley show on his sixth birthday in 1974 and got to meet Stanley, Skaggs and Keith Whitley, who was in the band at the time... And, as it has been for many of us, seeing Stanley play was a mystical experience... Nice that all these years later he gets a chance to repay the favor.

Ron Rigsby "Banjo On The Run" (RRRainbow Records, 2004)
The banjo-plunking brother of truegrass singer Don Rigsby, this fella sure has some tasty licks up his sleeve. He dips into some inventive melodic runs, stuff that stays just this side of new acoustic spacegrass... Mostly it's pretty traditionally oriented, just with a bright, innovative feel that sets him apart from the pack. Also includes a few vocal tunes, which edge into more folk-oriented Americana terrain... This disc is a real treat, worth checking out, particularly if you like sweet, hot banjo playing. (For more info, check out his website at www.ronrigsby.com.)

Jean Ritchie/Various Artists "Field Trip" (Greenhays Records, 1954)
A fascinating album in which one of America's supreme folkloric artists drew close the connections between American old-time music and its British and Celtic roots. Travelling through England, Ireland and Scotland on a Fulbright scholarship, Ritchie collected many wonderful performances from the locals, of well-known songs such as "Pretty Polly," "The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Barbara Allen," then contrasted the Old World versions to the ones she learned as a child in Appalachia. This is a great record, which still holds its charm, all these decades later. Recommended!

Jean Ritchie "Ballads From Her Appalachian Family Tradition" (Smithsonian Folkways, 1961)
The great 19th Century American scholar James Francis Child was a bit premature when he proclaimed the British and Irish ballad tradition moribund and fit for a bit of academic taxidermy. The Harvard professor's miscalculation is ably demonstrated in this set of songs that Appalachian folk phenomenon Jean Ritchie learned as a child and committed to to record during the opening days of the Kennedy administration, over a half century after Child concluded his song-catching efforts. All the songs here are versions of tunes gathered in Child's monumental, multi-volume English And Scottish Popular Ballads, but sung in the local variant forms that Ritchie learned from her Kentucky kith and kin. And, man! What great performances. Ritchie sings these old murder ballads and morbid epics with a simplicity and authoritativeness that cuts past the centuries and makes the old tales live again. This is really storytelling and folklore at its best -- the horrific nature of these old songs, in which sisters kill sisters and jealous, cuckholded husbands hack down their rivals is made magnetic in her chillingly matter-of-fact presentation. These are some of the finest, most engrossing versions of "Little Musgrave," "The Unquiet Grave," "Barbary Allen" and other classics that you will ever hear. A riveting record -- highly recommended!

Roane County Ramblers "Complete Recordings: 1928-1929" (County Records, 2004)
In the 1920s, during the early, hazy days of the country music business, scrappy stringbands like Roane County, Tennessee's Roane County Ramblers dotted the landscape, playing a driving style of acoustic music that was the transition between the old-timey music of the Antebellum South and the more modern "bluegrass" style that would arise over a decade later. The Ramblers were one of the most musically accomplished of these groups, featuring the sleek, nuanced fiddling work of Jimmy McCarroll, a mine worker and mill worker who wrote several well-known breakdowns, notably "Hometown Blues," with a tune that was covered by numerous other artists and morphed over the years into Bill Monroe's "Heavy Traffic Ahead." While just writing the song was enough to put him on the map, his performance style was also pretty striking -- bluegrass fans and fiddling enthusiasts in particular will enjoy this collection for its richness and textural depth, as well as for the phenomenally clean sound quality... Kudos to the County label for another fine reissue!

Robert & Claudene "Lamp Lighting Time" (Davis Unlimited, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Davis & Robert E. Nobley)
This is my favorite old-timey albums, a battered but beloved memento of the days when dollar albums still only cost a quarter (or five for a dollar, if you were lucky...!) The husband-and-wife team of Robert and Claudene Nobley were just plain folks from Roanoke, Alabama who loved all kinds of old-timey music, and regularly went to festivals and shows with Steve Davis, the guy who started the Davis Unlimited label. Thank goodness he stuck them in front of a microphone, because the Nobelys are just so heartfelt, soulful and sincere singing these old tunes, with simple, no-muss/no fuss guitar picking and autoharp strumming. Their harmonies are plainspoken but effective, and they really bring these old songs to life, tunes like "Poor Willie," "Katie Dear," All The Good Times Are Passed And Gone" and, of course, "Lamp Lighting Time," which is an album highlight. If you love those old records by the Blue Sky Boys, Delmore Brothers and Louvin Brothers, you might want to track this one down as well.

Rockcastle River Company "From Maine To Texas With..." (Rockcastle Records, 1976)

Rock County "Rock County" (Rebel Records, 2002)
Veteran truegrass players culled from several elite bands (Longview, Lonesome Standard Time and the The Reno Brothers), these guys pound out one of the many great sets of true, hard bluegrass being produced these days. What more can you say? This is a fine album that barrels along at a fairly fast clip, packed with plenty of well-written songs, harmony vocals and powerhouse picking.

Rock County "Rock Solid" (Rebel Records, 2003)
...Which, indeed, they are. Propulsive picking and good-natured vocals, with one good song after another. These fellas are candidates of choice for the traditionalists who like to hear a little bit of a rough edge left amid all the sooper-dooper pickin'. Nice record!

Jim Rooney -- see artist discography

Ivan Rosenberg "The Lost Coast" (Gate Music, 2001)
Nice, low-key bluegrass album featuring Rosenberg's able, soulful dobro (er, resophonic guitar...) work, as well as assist from a bunch of pals, including Ben Winship and sweet-sounding, Rhonda Vincent-y vocals by Julie Elkins. Not dazzling or flashy, but sweet and very heartfelt... mostly instrumental, but the vocal tracks are equally enjoyable.

Ivan Rosenberg "Ashes And Coals" (Self-Released, 2005)

Ivan Rosenberg "Clawhammer And Dobro" (Slosh-Tone Records, 2006)

Peter Rowan - see artist discography

The Roys "Lonesome Whistle" (Rural Rhythm Records, 2011)
(Produced by The Roys & Andy Leftwich)
A sweet, resolutely weepy set from the brother-sister duo of Elaine and Lee Roy, with fine bluegrass-y picking and unrepentant sentimentalism worthy of Porter Wagoner and Randy Travis. There's a strong vocal and stylistic similarity between Lee Roy and Ricky Skaggs -- making it entirely appropriate for Mr. Skaggs and The Whites to contribute vocals to the glowing religious song, "That's What Makes It Love," one of several spiritual numbers on here that should appeal to the Southern Gospel and Christian country crowd. There are also songs about coal miners, fallen soldiers, saintly mothers and small town virtues... All in all, it's a solid record which should appeal to fans of Rory & Joey or other rootsy neo-traditionalists... Not too gooey, but certainly wearing their hearts on their sleeves; recommended if you go for earnest, sentimental, harmony-rich country roots.

The Roys "New Day Dawning" (Rural Rhythm Records, 2012)
(Produced by Andy Leftwich & The Roys)
Sweet, melodic contemporary bluegrass with a brace of new songs written by Lee and Elaine Roys, a husband-wife duo who are in Ricky Skaggs' orbit, and have a lot in common with him musically. The songs here all feature contemplative lyrics that mix religion and cultural nostalgia -- memories of mom and dad, grandma and grandpa's farm, stuff like that. If you're a fan of Alison Krauss, or of Ricky Skaggs' style of spiritual bluegrass, you'll probably really like this as well. Solid accompaniment by fiddler Andy Leftwich, dobro player Randy Kohrs, and other talented modern musicians.

The Roys "Gypsy Runaway Train" (Rural Rhythm Records, 2013)

Tom Rozum & Laurie Lewis "The Oak And The Laurel" (Rounder Records, 1995)
A beautiful record, with an easygoing spirit that makes it one of Laurie Lewis's rootsiest, least strained records. Teamed up with mandolinist Tom Rozum, another longtime veteran of the Bay Area bluegrass scene, Lewis hits a sublime groove, zipping off a couple of Carter Family gems, a sweet Everly Brothers cover ("So Sad"), a melancholy Mark Simos song ("Sleepy Eyes"), one by the Louvin Brothers, and a much-welcome Don Stover tune, to top things off. These two have a really nice chemistry together -- smooth, close harmonies and tasteful arrangements that sidestep the ofttimes-baroque goopiness of other folk-newgrass crossovers, instead zeroing in on the heartsong traditions that make the softer side of the truegrass scene so nice. An elegant album -- highly recommended!

Tom Rozum "Jubilee" (Signature Sounds/Dog Boy Records, 1998)
A nice, relaxed set of acoustic swing and sweetened old-timey stringband music, with equal debts to the Carter Family and Karl & Harty... It's sort of like hearing a kinder, gentler Dan Hicks. Rozum's longtime musical partner Laurie Lewis plays on about half the tracks, along with a heavyweight set of Northern California newgrass superpickers -- Darol Anger, Rob Ickes, Mike Marshall, Todd Phillips, et al. -- and the results are pretty darn nice. If you like the sweeter, more sincere side of the acoustic music scent, this is a fine, understated, masterfully produced album. Recommended!

Tom Rozum & Laurie Lewis "Winter's Grace" (Dog Boy Records/Signature Sounds, 1999)
A nice, understated acoustic holiday set, which -- appropriately enough -- drifts into sorts goopy, Berkeleyesque folkie territory. ("The Earth Moves In Mysterious Ways," for example...) Nina Gerber, Todd Phillips, Mike Marshall and other Bay Area folk scene stalwarts pitch in on this refreshingly original set... The instrumental numbers are really nice, and overall this has a pleasantly heartfelt vibe. Worth checking out, especially if you want a little break from Bing and Sting during the holiday season... (PS - if you like country Christmas records, I review a whole bunch of them on my hillbilly holiday page...)

Tom Rozum & Laurie Lewis "Guest House" (HighTone Records, 2004)
Recommended! Another nice, understated oldtime-ish album by these SF Bay Area acoustic music vets... The picking is solid, but resolutely un-flashy, steering listeners towards the lyrics and the subtle harmony vocals. This is possibly the best of the Lewis-Rozum collaborations, with their musical inclinations in a perfect synch that mirrors that of their voices -- her low tones, meeting his high. The album opens on a note of controversy, with a cautionary tale about urban rage and gun-related violence ("Poor Boy Willie," which cleverly transposes a Woody Guthrie-style story-song into the modern day... it sounds nice, but one wonders how many of their Birkenstock-clad, ponytailed, urban folkie listeners will find their behavior modified by the song...) A second social commentary song scores better: "Just A Lie," which takes aim at those nostalgic for "the good old days," has a more compact structure, and a much sharper bite. In between, there's a lovely set of heartfelt, folkie truegrass, with Lewis and Rozum both singing their little hearts out. Extra points for covering Jim Ringer's timeless outlaw ballad, "Tramps And Hawkers."

Rustical Quality String Band "RQSB: Rustical Quality String Band" (Red Dog Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Bertalan & Tom Hesketh)
A good-natured, folkie mix of bluegrass, old-timey and jug-band music from this long-lived local group out of Pennsylvania. Lead vocalist Tim Craven started this band in the late 'Seventies, after being in the more straight-up bluegrass band, Whetstone Run, and has kept the RQSB together in one form or another for several decades, in addition to his own Craven Family Band, formed with his wife and kids. This album draws on a bunch of old-fashioned twangy sources -- mountain music ala Clark Kessinger, Clayton McMichen, and Jean Redpath; old Irish stuff; Bill Boyd's western swing and old acoustic blues. I'm not sure if they made any other albums, but this one's kinda sweet, in a folk-scene kinda way.

Betsy Rutherford "Traditional Country Music" (Biograph Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Arnold S. Caplin & Gordon Sheehan)
Old-school Appalachian acoustic country tunes from a Virginia gal whose dad led a backwoods stringband back in the Depression era. Though Ms. Rutherford was born in Galax, her father, Clarence Wroten, was from North Carolina, and performed on the radio in various cities, including Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem... She sticks to pretty well-known standards, stuff like "Amazing Grace," "Rain And Snow," "John Hardy," "The West Virginia Mine Disaster," and the like. She sings and plays guitar, with backing by John Coffey, Neil Rossi," and several other old-timey-lovin' folk revivalists, though as the liner notes tell us, "to Betsy Rutherford, old-time mountain music never had to be revived, because it was always alive." Amen to that!

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Hick Music Index

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