Customer Reviews

Shifting Sands of Time

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Probably 2001's single most enchanting album -- forget the post-modern baloney of Radiohead's recent techno-drone crap and the new Lucinda Williams disk (which is merely aimless self-indulgence masquerading as spirituality). The Wayfaring Strangers draw from a vast well of American (jazz, bluegrass, old-tyme, folk) and international (klezmer and middle-eastern sounds, mostly) influences to turn standards of the bluegrass repertoire (and some newly-written tunes) BACK into the souful meditations that at heart they are. With such virtuosi as Andy Statman (transcendant! Why doesn't he play like this on HIS albums??), Tony Trischka (who shows the more meditative side of his playing), and leader Matt Glaser, the Wayfaring Strangers have the necessary tools to pull off this audacious experiment in American music. And while yes, many of the songs are slow, they are not dull -- the empathy and interaction are fascinating, more so than most so-called Jazz albums of the day. Stop reading this and buy it already. . .

This mind blowing fusion of various american music styles is emotionally deep, and just the perfect solace for these difficult times. At first the music might be a little disconcerting if you insist that musical styles remain separated but, give it time, it'll get to you.

Four measures of jazz comping behind Mountain Music Giant, Ralph Stanley is enough to entice you to hear out the rest of the project. Like nothing you'll hear anywhere else, the merging of folk, bluegrass, fusion, Klez, and straight-ahead jazz by this acoustic ensemble retains the identity of each ingredient, without beating the cake batter into tasteless pulp.
Flavorful. Captivating.
Come on folks, we want more!

The "Man of Constant Sorrow" sung by the great Ralph Stanley and featuring an amazing piano solo by Laszlo Gardony is without question the best track on this beautiful CD.
The music is truly inspiring on "Shifting Sands of Time". Hats off to the leader and innovative mind of the band, Matt Glaser! Bravo Wayfaring Strangers!

I probably shouldn't write a review until I get the CD, which I'm ordering now. I heard "High On A Mountain" on our local community radio station this morning (KRCL, SLC, Utah) and it knocked my socks off... this may very well be the best cover of any song by any band! Not only was the delivery on the vocals excellent, but the fiddle really pulled it together.

Then I saw the lineup... Matt Glaser, Andy Statman, Tony Trishka... it all made sense. I'm a fan of Jazz, Bluegrass, Folk, etc, so the other reviews discussing the mix of styles just intrigued me more. I can't wait to hear the rest!

Imagine Diana Krall married Bella Fleck, (instead of Elvis), and moved to the mountains of East Tennessee. This collection of, dare I use the cliche "eclectic", bluegrass is what jazz should've been if if hadn't been polluted by the St Louis and Chicago "free-run but no melody" city-fication of the people's music. Not only do you get virtuoso performances on strings, you also get Lucy Kaplansky, Rhonda Vincent, Ry Cavanaugh, and more. This album is like the south... you either get it or you don't. And if you don't... please refrain from embarrassing yourself.

I orded this item because jennifer Kimball was singing upon it. It is a mixture of blues, folk, christian compentary and some country. A strange mixture, which is the same for the singers and players which have different back grounds. The result is a very nice album, but no Jennifer Kimball album, that is for sure.

I've never been a bluegrass fan and listen to jazz but this CD is so unbelievable in all is genres. What great musicians. So musical, lyrical yet edgy. I heard one tune on the radio, ordered the CD and have enjoyed it ever since. Don't stop now, Matt!

Here's a quick rule of thumb: If you see Andy Statman's name on a recording, buy it. Statman's clarinet and mandolin playing bring an exotic air to this recording, which is a mix of bluegrass, Texas swing, Klezmer, folk, blues, jazz, country, Arabian music, etc. The first several cuts are knockouts, beginning with Statman's clarinet work on the title cut, "Shifting Sands of Time," a guest vocal by the venerable Ralph Stanley on "Man of Constant Sorrow," and several more solid cuts. Although things seem to get a bit weaker as the CD plays on, the only cut that is really a failure is the Strangers' version of "Working on a Building," which just doesn't work, with guest vocalist Tracy Bonham sounding as if she simply does not have a clue (audiophiles may remember Margo Timmons's excellent version of this song on The Trinity Sessions). Still, Shifting Sands of Time is a delightful recording overall, and the audio quality is excellent. This recording should appeal greatly to a wide variety of musical tastes, and I recommend that you seek it out.

True to their name, the Wayfaring Strangers are an only partially fixed group of musicians, with some wandering in and out. Even after reading a Sing Out! article about them I have trouble keeping the line-up straight. Their music is a mixture of bluegrass and traditional (now marketted as "roots") with significant swing and contemporary singer-songwriter elements, among others. This confluence makes for a fresh sound, even on well-worn tunes, yet is broadly accessible. The level of musicianship is quite high on an individual basis, and there's not a bad track on the disc.

The reason I'm only giving an average rating is that the group is not at the level on this CD that they would soon reach. The first time I heard them was in concert in NYC around 2003. They had a relaxed but bouncy rhythm, energy, and on some songs a lot of emotional force. Those qualities can be heard on this disc but they are blander; someone turned down the contrast and color controls a bit. Their follow-up CD, This Train, is more robust.