Customer Reviews

Where It All Begins

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Anderson-Gram is a wonderful husband and wife duo from Hampton, NH who play a delightfully easygoing blend of folk, country and bluegrass. Gayle Anderson Gram and Bob Gram have been playing together since 1992. They've been married since 1997. It shows.

Their latest album, "Where It All Begins" feels like a good marriage. There is a casual comfort to their simple harmonies. There are many more ups than downs and individually they get a chance to step out and shine. And like many a good marriage, the extended community of friends is also very strong.

In this case that community is a first rate producer, Tom Eaton of Thomas Eaton Recording and some excellent musicians. The sound is lush and warm. The gentle strum of acoustic guitars is supported by the stellar dobro work of Roger Williams and bass playing by The Night Heron Consort's innovative Kent Allyn among others. My personal favorite is the outstanding mandolin and fiddle parts supplied by Jake Armerding, who cut his teeth in his father's bluegrass band Northern Lights.

Up front, of course, are Gayle and BOb. Gayle has a fine folk voice, strong, honest, and a little bit sweet. Bob provides nicely understated barritone harmonies. He can also take a turn at lead vocals and he has a rugged smoky quality that fits well on the quiet serious songs he sings.

So okay let's take a look at what we've got so far: two strong singers that work well together, some local heavyweight musicians backing them up, and a relaxed, entertaining musical style. Now the only question is how good are the songs. Well, they're pretty darn good too.

I can't say any one of them has stuck in my head or really has me singing along, but that doesn't mean they're no good. On the contrary, all of them are nicely constructed clear pictures of everyday life. I especially like "Thirteen Forever" and its reminiscences of childhood and "This Guitar" about life on the road.

The more I listen to this album the more I like the whole sound of it. This is something that could play over and over in the background of my life. It has the feel of a well broken comforter or a favorite overstuffed chair. Everything fits so well together. Nothing stands out from anything else, but that just makes the whole that much better. I rate it a 9 out of 11.