Foghorn String Band Reap What You Sow
My oh My, it doesn't get much better than this! It's a beauiful, sunny, Tuesday afternoon and what could be better than listening to some old-time music?
The Foghorn Stringband is possibly best known as the back-up band on Dirk Powell's newest cd and recent tour but that was just a teaser to the treasures that lie within Reap What You Sow. The Foghorns hail from the Pacific Northwest and Reap What You Sow was recorded in the old-fashioned way with one microphone and everybody playing live. The band features Stephen "Sammy" Lind, fiddle and vocals; Caleb Klauder, mandolin and vocals; Kevin Sandri, guitar and vocals; Taylor Grover, banjo and Brian Bagdonas, bass.
The repertoire is decidedly classic old-time. The recording opens with a lively version of "Georgia Railroad" from the playing of Gid Tanner and his Skillet Lickers. This is a tune well known in our playing circle. That's followed by the lovely waltz "Cherlie and Nellie" a story of a break-up from a series of letters between the two principles. "Best Timber" follows at a steady but not breakneck speed. The interplay between the fiddle and the mandolin is especially strong on this great dance tune.
Dock Boggs' "Danville Girl" has a drive and passion only hinted at by his version. "Black Mountain Rag" is given an early bluegrass treatment as Taylor pulls out hid fingerpicks. Grayson and Whitter's "Nobody's Darling" maintains it heartsong sentimentality. The cd concludes with "Sow 'Em on the Mountain" which lend the recording its title.
The Foghorn Stringband is the real deal. They take the wild and wooly as well as the tender and lovely old-time dance tunes and songs and present them with respect and lots of energy.
