Northern California Bluegrass Society provides this CD review. You can find our most current reviews on our Message Board, where you can comment or query the author directly. Our monthly magazine, Bluegrass By the Bay also publishes them.

Songs:
Bluegrass Blues
Talk To Your Heart
One More Time, My Darlin'
Windy Mountain
My Home In The Mountains
Why Do You Treat Me The Way That You Do
He Showed Me The Way
Stokes Run
Worry No More
I'll Never Change My Mind
Death Came Creepin' In My Room
Pass Me Not
We'll Love Again, Sweetheart
Let Those Brown Eyes Smile At Me
Mouse Tracks in the Bacon Grease

Hay Holler Records
P.O. Box 868
Blacksburg, VA 24063
HH-CD-1346
c 1999

Melvin and Ray Goins played together as the Goins Brothers for almost 50 years. With Ray's retirement, Melvin formed a new band, Melvin Goins & Windy Mountain . The song Windy Mountain was one of the signature songs of the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, a group that Melvin and Ray had played with in the 60's. It's not surprising that Melvin chose the name from a traditional band as his new band continues in the traditional style. Creeping In My Room.

The title cut, Bluegrass Blues is a tongue-in-cheek collection of hillbilly/bluegrass blues cliches complete with being thrown out of a bar and a shack in Kentucky. The CD also features several Curly Ray Cline songs including Windy Mountain, He Showed Me The Way and I'll Never Change My Mind. The new band members have also contributed some songs including an instrumental Mouse Tracks In The Bacon Grease written by mandolinist John Rigsby, and Worry No More from bassist Jason Hale.

The band sound is strong with solos and accents shared by all the instruments. This is a band that is a worthy successor to the Goins Brothers and the Lonesome Pine Fiddlers.