CD Review

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.

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Junior Barber and Gary Ferguson Stuff That Works
Review by Brenda Hough  

Song list:
Stuff That Works, Kentucky Boy, Dear Sarah, Chicken Feet, Here I Go Again, Choices, I've Been All Around This World, Give Me The Flowers While I'm Living, Wheels Rollin' Round, I'll Be All Smiles Tonight, That's Alright, That's OK, Last Day at Gettysburg.

: Gunny Sack Music GSM001
6211 Baltimore Pike
Littlestown, PA 17340
©2003


Junior Barber has been on the bluegrass and country scene for many years and has been nominated several times for the "IBMA dobro player of the year." His melodic dobro is a delightful counterpoint to Gary Ferguson's country-edged vocals of life and its trials and tribulations. The album opens with Guy Clark and Rodney Crowell's "Stuff That Works," a tuneful tribute to the comforts of old blue shirts, guitars, and old used cars. Gary Ferguson has written several songs for the project, and his "Kentucky Boy" retells the dream of a country boy making it big in the music business. "Wheels Rollin' Round" and "That's Alright, That's OK" are more Gary Ferguson tunes with a gritty sound like that of old Elvis records. "I've Been All Around This World" has a delightful bounce that invites the listener to join in and sing. Gary's "Last Day at Gettysburg" is a soldier's lament and hope for the promised land that has a very effective dobro accompaniment. Gary's Gibson guitar and P apoose give a chunky rhythm counterpoint to the many notes flowing out of the dobro and the two instruments blend in "Chicken Feet" and an instrumental version of Kitty Wells' "I'll Be All Smiles Tonight." This is a great album for going down the highway on a dark summer night with all the windows down.

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