Dave alvin

Harlan County Line

Johnny Ace is Dead

Black Rose of Texas

Gary, Indiana 1959

“There are a number of things to recommend Larry Stephenson’s approach to traditional bluegrass, but above them all stands his high and lonesome lead vocals.” —All Music Guide

“Stephenson has honed his voice into one of the best bluegrass tenors this side of Bobby Osborne.”—Kansas City Star

“One of the finest singers in bluegrass” —Country Standard Time

Larry Stephenson delivers one of the finest albums of his career on his Compass Records debut WHAT REALLY MATTERS. The album comes on the heels of the Larry Stephenson Band’s win for Recorded Event of the Year at the 2010 International Bluegrass Music Awards for his bluegrass star-studded previous effort, 20th Anniversary, Stephenson again teaming up with co-producer Ben Surratt. Armed with 12 outstanding tracks and surrounded by a road-tested band that includes Kenny Ingram (banjo), Kevin Richardson (guitar) and Danny Stewart (bass), Stephenson’s distinctive vocals are showcased to great effect. Standout tracks include Jimmy Martin’s “Beartracks”, the title track and a spirited reworking of “Philadelphia Lawyer” featuring Sam Bush on fiddle and harmony vocals.

Big Train

The younger brother of influential Irish singer/songwriter, Christy Moore, Barry Moore had tired of being in his brother’s shadow when he decided to relocate to the United States in 1987. He took the first steps toward establishing his own reputation by re-christening himself Luka Bloom during a long airplane ride. A master interpreter, Bloom has continued to balance original songs with reinventions of tunes by a diverse range of songwriters.

On THIS NEW MORNING, Bloom continues to shake up the folk genre with clever chord sequences and arrangements while still retaining folk’s core values of story-telling and commentary. Bloom is primarily known in Ireland as a solo guitar and mic man. Here, he has gathered together a Who’s Who from the Irish folk pantheon. THIS NEW MORNING sounds like a band album—and what a band: Glen Hansard, Donal Lunny, Iarla Ó Lionaird, Eimear Quinn, Steve Cooney and Conor Byrne. The playing is magnificent throughout. Bloom co-produced this record with his old sparring partner, Brian Masterson, and together they have created an album of outstanding beauty, sensitivity and fun.


A Seed Was Sown

Compass Records Group

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