Well into their career as a trio, the faithful three of
Mike Seeger
,
Tracy Schwarz
, and
John Cohen
came up with one of the best
New Lost City Ramblers
albums. The choice of material is particularly fun, that adjective being chosen to stress an important, and sometimes neglected, element of this genre. From the opening combination of dulcimer, fiddle, and banjo, the sound of the group is rich, the high overtones of the stringed instruments shimmering like sun over the water. Unfortunately, this track is treated to a fadeout, while an actual ending would have only increased the beauty of
"John Brown's Dream."
The banjo picking by
Schwarz
is sensational on
"Love of Polly and Jack Monroe,"
a song originally done by
George Davis
. Oh yes, of course all the proper references are here, so
folk
music fanatics of all ages can continue conducting the proper research. This group always includes a few solos on each album and here these are particularly memorable, possibly a reflection of the various members' growing strengths as players.
Cohen
takes on
"Walking Boss,"
the bassline from his banjo sounding positively intimidating. On
"A Night at the Country Opera,"
does a slightly strained but well-intentioned tribute to the
vaudeville
spoofing of good old
Fiddler Joe
.
Seeger
takes on a
Roscoe Holcomb
tune as a one-man duo, playing fiddle and harmonica simultaneously. Performances such as this tend to be highlights of his solo sets; they also fit nicely into a band program such as this. ~ Eugene Chadbourne