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:
Jack of Diamonds
Poor Ellen Smith
On A Monday
Polly Put The Kettle On
A Lazy Farmer Boy
May You Never Be Alone
Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy
You Don't Know My Mind
Sally in the Turnip Patch
Girl on the Greenbrier Shore
Burn Another Honky Tonk Down
Petersburg Gal
You've Got To Righten That Wrong

Native and Fine Records
906-4 1185 Solano Avenue
PMB #157
Albany, CA 94706

We are lucky to have many fine bluegrass musicians in our own Bay Area, and most of the folks on this collection are well known to fans in our area. Bill Evans mans the banjo, Alan Senauke the guitar, Larry Cohea, bass and the team of Suzy and Eric Thompson add fiddle, mandolin and fine vocals. Their love of the music and enthusiasm make this album a joy to listen to, and the fine harmonies and instrumental blendings make it an album to play many times.

Perhaps the "bluegrass intentions" in their name refers to their melding of songs from other sources into a bluegrass mold but even the old timey and Cajun influences are given a strong bluegrass flavor that shows Monroe and Flatt and Scruggs influence. There are three Carter Family Tunes: "Girl on the Greenbrier Shore," "You've Got To Righten That Wrong," and "Bring Back My Blue Eyed Boy." Suzy Thompson's voice is featured on several cuts including "You Don't Know My Mind," a song made famous by Jimmy Martin and "Jack of Diamonds. Three instrumentals provide a showcase for the great instrumentalists on the album. "Sally in the Turnip Patch" and "Petersburg Gal" let the speed demons out in full force.

The CD cover has a whimsical set of Southwestern petroglyphs playing banjo, guitar, mandolin and fiddle. (Hint, hint, this would make a great Tshirt or poster for a festival!)