Customer Reviews

Rivers

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Scott Anderson is a talented banjoist, mandolinist, guitarist, photographer, singer, song-writer, pharmacist, and after years honing his musical craft with other bands such as Endless Highway he has melded his many musical influences into a singular vision that is artistically VERY satisfying. This album, produced by the amazing Scott Vestal (who also takes a guest solo on "the one"), features Wayne Benson (of Third Tyme Out) on mandolin, Rob Ickes on Dobro, Aubrey Haynie on fiddle - you get the idea.... Best-in-the-business musicians playing hot arrangements of fantastic songs. Scott shares lead singing duties with Gabe Valla and Darren Wainwright, and the original tunes sparkle amongst the carefully chosen covers.

I recommend this album highly and I recommend a live Scott Anderson Band show just as highly.

Let me be up front about this: Bluegrass isn't the kind of music I'd normally listen to. Don't get me wrong, I generally have a pretty wide taste in music. (I'm still working on rap & most hip-hop, but I don't think that stuff is written for a small-town, 40-something white guy like me anyway.) I just never had much interest in listening to bluegrass, but when a friend loaned me a copy of Scott's CD, my musical curiosity got the best of me. It's not just a great "swampgrass" CD, it's just plain good music, a must-have for the well-rounded listener's collection.

This CD, originally put out in 2001, seems to have undergone a rebirth. That's great, because the music if first rate, and Scott is a wonderful guy. I was fortunate enough to get to see him occasionally in the late '90s in Gainesville, and he was a standout musician. He employed some top notch studio guys for this recording and does some fine original material. Great bluegrass.

I can't say enough about this CD. It was like an epiphany when I first heard it. I wanted to quit my job, leave my wife and four kids, and just move to Tahiti or the Sudan or somewhere and just listen to this CD constantly. But I knew I'd not live long if I did that, so I came back down to earth and just listen to it as much as I can while still working at my job and dealing with the ball & chain and rugrats. Scott's playing makes Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck sound like ham-handed visigoths, and his singing makes Vince Gill and Dudley Connell sound like Ernest Tubb and Narvel Felts. It's just a great, great collection of music.