Category: Folk

John McCutcheon’s Passage Is Still Powerful on a “Folk Friday

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Discovering John McCutcheon’s Passage – 15 Years Later and Still Powerful

Passage - John McCutcheon

Back in November 2010, while browsing the Folk DJ Chart, I came across an artist I somehow hadn’t given enough attention to: John McCutcheon. His album Passage was sitting at #19, and I thought: it’s time. So I loaded it up on Rhapsody (yes, Rhapsody!) and the result? That familiar feeling of *What was I thinking?*—how had I missed this?

A Wisconsin native now living in Avondale Estates, Georgia, John is what Southerners might call a “Damn Yankee” — one who came and stayed. He’s a master of the hammered dulcimer but also plays guitar, banjo, autoharp, mountain dulcimer, fiddle, and Jew’s harp. And let’s not forget: he’s a terrific songwriter.

About John McCutcheon’s Passage

Passage was recorded in both Decatur, GA and Nashville and features an impressive list of guest musicians and friends: Kathy Mattea, Suzy Bogguss, Tim O’Brien, Mollie O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, and John Jennings, to name a few.

The album covers everything from mining life (“One More Day,” “Your Age”) to father-son relationships (“With My Father,” “Iowa”) to friendship (“Friendly Competition”), to those ever-resonant themes of love and loss. McCutcheon’s voice, both musically and lyrically, is a steady, soulful guide through it all.

Two standouts from the album—“Glory Hallelujah” and “One More Day”—appeared on the Folk DJ list that year, and with good reason. As his website once said:

“No one explores the uncharted, unspoken territories of the grown-up heart like John McCutcheon.”

You can learn more about him at his official website.

🎶 Watch: “Step by Step” – Hammered Dulcimer Brilliance

Postscript – July 2025

This week, John McCutcheon’s latest album Field of Stars made it onto my Folk Monday rotation. Revisiting Passage reminded me just how long he’s been writing songs that matter. The topics may evolve, but the heart and craft never waver. Time to go re-listen — and maybe catch up on a few of those 24+ albums I missed the first time around!385″

The Daily Roots….. Down a Folk Music Rabbit Hole

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The Kingston Trio Nick Bob John started Me Down the Folk Music Rabbit Hole

A Random Album Pick – The Kingston Trio – Nick Bob John

This morning I randomly picked out an album from a crate of vinyl that was near me. The album was The Kingston Trio‘s album Nick-Bob- John. Released in 1964, the album was their first recording on the Decca label. The trio was extremely popular from 1958 through 1963 There first 5 albums peaked at No. 1 on the charts and were certifed Gold Records.. That explains why their albums are so numerous at Goodwills.

When I first realized that good albums could be found at Goodwills I started to search out folk music from the 1950s and 1960s. And The Kingston Trio albums were the easiest to find. I found this album interesting because by this time John Stewart had joined the trio.

The First Spin

I put the album on and started to do write a blog post. The first song was “Midnight Special” a song I have heard countless times over the years. My ears really perked up when I heard the third song “Someday Soon” an Ian Tyson song that has been covered by many of my favorite artists. My favorite cover though is by Judy Collins!

Down the Folk Music Rabbit Hole

Then came “Gotta Travel On” and this is when the ground started to split and a rabbit hole emerged! When I first went to Google to find out more about the song I saw a result that said Gotta Travel On words ad lyrics by Bob Dylan I thought that’s not right. When I looked back at the back of the album I saw that the songwriter was Paul Clayton.

Now that makes sense Clayton was very active in the early folk scene in Greenwich Village and I knew Dave Van Ronk had written about him in Van Ronk’s he Mayor of MacDougal Street

So I searched Google for info on the relationship between Van Ronk, Clayton and Dylan.. Here’s what i found out

Further Down the Folk Music Rabbit Hole…….

Traveling on with The Weavewrs sent me further down the folk music rabbit hole

Next, I discovered that the song went back a long way and that while some say The Kingston Trio introduced the song. However, The Weavers had actually recorded it several years earlier. The sent me down the rabbit-hole to find my Weaver albums to see if I had one with “Gotta Travel On”. Bingo! And it’s even in the slightly referenced in the album title Travelin’ On with the Weavers. The song ends the album! Here’s What they wrote about the song.

Here again was the fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm we wanted to preserve. We wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale: who has not felt.

What the Liner Notes Taught Me

Finally, when I pulled out the Weaver album I also pulled out The Weavers Greatest Hits. When I looked at the songs I recognized the majority of them including the likes of: “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine” “Wimoweh” and “Rock Island Line” Hey is that the Johnny Cash song? Yep.

Anyway I saw that many of these songs were written by Paul Campbell. and Kisses Sweeter than Wine and Rock Island Line were written by Paul Campbell and Joel Newman. Who were these songwriters??? Off again to Google, etc

Paul Campbell is a pseudonym used by The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert) between 1948 and 1953 to copyright their arrangements of traditional folk songs. It allowed the group to claim songwriting credit for adapted material, such as “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine”

Now the question is who is Joel Newman? The answer Huddie Ledbetter aka Lead Belly.

Another of the things I learned from the liner notes on Travelin’ On with the Weavers involved “Kumbaya.” When they first encountered it, all they had was the word “Kumbaya,” brought back from Africa, and a rhythm that sounded like a lullaby. So they wrote it as a lullaby.

All of this from pulling one random album off a shelf.

A Folk Music Rabbit Hole Playlist

Stan Rogers Anchors a Canadian Style Folk Friday

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Folk Monday kicked off with Endless Wire spinning on the turntable — Gordon Lightfoot sounding as warm and familiar as ever. Something about Lightfoot always puts me in a good place, and today it set off a whole chain reaction.

While the album played, I started revising older posts, and the first one that surfaced was my write-up on Dave Gunning’s Lift. I’d forgotten how much I liked that record — and how many East Coast voices Gunning pulls into his work. Here’s the updated post if you want to take a look:

👉 Link to the Dave Gunning / Lift post

All that got me thinking…

The Canadian Connection

Lightfoot led to Gunning, and suddenly I realized how many Canadian voices have shaped my listening over the years. They’re not all alike, but they share that same mix of storytelling, heart, and wide-open Northern landscapes:

  • Gordon Lightfoot – the foundation
  • Dave Gunning – modern East Coast voice with Stan Rogers’ storytelling DNA
  • Ian Tyson – I may need to pull out Cowboyography next
  • James Keelaghan – one of the finest storytellers working today
  • Stan Rogers – I knew I had one of his albums somewhere… turned out to be two

And just like that, I was all the way down the Canadian folk rabbit hole — the good kind — which led naturally to putting Stan Rogers on the turntable next.

By this point, I was fully down the Canadian folk rabbit hole — the good kind.

Stan Rogers First on the Turntable

Fogerty's Cove - Stan Rogers

Once I dug a little deeper into my shelves, I found the two Stan Rogers albums I’ve picked up over the last couple of years. First on the turntable: Fogarty’s Cove.

Fogarty’s Cove was Stan’s debut, released in 1977 on Barnswallow Records — a label he later purchased and turned into Fogarty’s Cove Records. My copy is the 1979 pressing on that very label, which feels just right for the music.

While the needle dropped, I realized I never really knew how young Stan was when he died — only that I’d heard Gene Shay mention it years ago. A quick stop at Wikipedia filled in the gaps:

About Stan Rogers

Stanley Allison Rogers (November 29, 1949 – June 2, 1983)[1] was a Canadian folk musician and songwriter who sang traditional-sounding songs frequently inspired by Canadian history and the working people’s daily lives, especially from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies and Great Lakes.[2] He died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797, grounded at the Greater Cincinnati Airport, at the age of 33. Wikipedia

Before his death in 1983, Stan — with his brother Garnett often co-producing — released five albums. He stayed a staple of the folk community long after, with live releases, tribute concerts, and, of course, the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival up in Canso, Nova Scotia.

Listening again, it’s easy to be reminded why Stan’s music has stuck around. His baritone, that hint of Celtic phrasing, the DADGAD-tuned guitars — and the songs themselves. “Northwest Passage,” “The Mary Ellen Carter,” “White Squall,” “Make and Break Harbour”… they all still land.

Barrett’s Privateers – from Fogerty’s Cove – Stan Rogers

But the one that always leaps out, no matter how many times I hear it, is “Barrett’s Privateers.” Before I wander any farther down this Canadian trail, here it is — the perfect way to wrap up this Rogers detour.as Remembering Stan Rogers, which peaked at number 36 on the RPM Country Albums chart.

If the day stays at this pace, who knows where I’ll end up — maybe ending the night with Tyson’s “Four Strong Winds” or Keelaghan’s For now, I’m calling this the first stop on what’s turning into a full-on Canadian Folk Monday. I’ll circle back soon with Tyson, Keelaghan, and maybe a few vinyl surprises I dig out of the stacks.

The Dutchman – Steve Goodman and “Folks” I Met in Songs

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Somebody Else's Troubles where I met The Dutchman

The Dutchman and Other Folks I’ve Met in Songs

The Dutchman – Steve Goodman

“The Dutchman,” written by Michael Smith, is one of my all-time favorite songs. In addition to Steve Goodman, the song has been covered by two of my favorite artists — Jerry Jeff Walker and John Gorka — along with Liam Clancy. Steve’s version is still my favor

 

Now, why a 20-year-old fell in love with this song back in 1971, I don’t really know. I guess it’s the universality of the lyrics — the tenderness, the quiet devotion, the way it captures a love that endures through time and frailt

What I do know is that as I approach my 74th birthday and my 50th year married to the love of my life, my eyes are misting up just thinking about it.

I’ve always loved story songs — songs that introduce you to real people, or people who feel real, whose stories stay with you. Here’s a short playlist of some of the folks I’ve met through songs over the years.

The Playlist

“The Dutchman” – Steve Goodman


I met The Dutchman back in 1971 via Steve Goodman’s album Somebody Else’s Troubles. The song has stayed with me all these years and now feels even more meaningful. A tale of enduring love and quiet devotion.

“Mr. Bojangles” – Jerry Jeff Walker


The story of a street performer Walker met in a New Orleans drunk tank. The song reminds us that everyone has a story, even if it’s not immediately visible. And yes, the waltz beat has helped rock all five of my grandchildren to sleep at one point or another.

Bonus: Check Out a Birthday post I did For Jerry Jeff  a while back here

“Mr. Tanner” – Harry Chapin


A powerful story about a man who dares to dream. It makes me wonder: is it better to chase your dream and fall short, or to keep the dream alive in your imagination? I’ve asked myself that many times.

“Corey’s Coming” – Harry Chapin


The story of old John Joseph and his beloved Corey. Is Corey real, or only alive in the old man’s mind? Either way, it’s a tale of love, longing, and the stories we choose to believe.

“Mr. Schwinn” – Daryl Purpose


The quiet, touching tale of a bicycle repairman and the two bikes he maintains — one for himself, one for his wife. Did they ever take that honeymoon ride? We may never know, but it stays with me.

“Stoney” – Jerry Jeff Walker


Another unforgettable character from Walker’s travels. I first heard this in the early ’70s, and it’s been with me ever since. While at the University of Florida, I once recited it (along with “Waist Deep in the Big Muddy”) as part of a class assignment. I got applause for “Stoney.” It’s also one of those songs I’ve used to rock a grandchild t

Listen to the Playlist

Here’s a playlist of the songs and characters I’ve carried with me all these years. Each one tells a story — some tender, some wistful, all unforgettable.

The Bonus: Not a PArticular Person just two people who may resemble people we know…..

hese are the people I’ve met in songs — and somehow, they’ve stayed with me longer than some folks I’ve met in real life.

Steve Goodman’s Debut Album: Steve Goodman (1971) – A Soundtrack for My Life!

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Steve Goodman’s Debut Album Became a Soundtrack for My Life!

I first discovered the magical, funny, and poignant music of Steve Goodman back in 1971, when his self-titled debut album came out. At the time, I was a student at the University of Florida — so I don’t think I heard about him from Gene Shay’s folk show in Philly. I’m pretty sure it was the liner notes on the back of the album that pulled me in. That’s where I read this from John Prine:

I been listening to the radio since I was nine years old. I figured I could see songs better than most people listen to them. The first time I heard Steve Goodman on the radio, I knew I was listening to a tall skinny cat with a little beard singing the best damn train song I ever heard. Two months later, in the back room of The Earl of Oldtown, I met a short stout fellow with no beard who wrote and sang the best train song I ever heard. His name was Steve Goodman. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
– John Prine, 1971

Since I had already discovered John Prine, that quote alone would’ve been enough to sell me on the album.

A Who’s Who of Folk and Country Greats

But wait — there was more. A who’s who of American folk and country players were listed on the back cover. The lineup included:

  • Bob Dylan – piano on “Election Year Rag”
  • Kris Kristofferson – backing vocals
  • John Prine – backing vocals
  • Vassar Clements – fiddle
  • Charlie McCoy – harmonica
  • David Briggs, Kenny Buttrey, Norbert Putnam – Nashville A-Team players
  • Also: Grady Martin, Ben Keith, Donnie Fritts, Martha McCrory, and a full brass section!

I already knew Dylan, Kristofferson, and Prine — and I recognized names like Vassar Clements and Charlie McCoy. I figured even if I didn’t love the songs, the music would be top-notch.

Spoiler: I loved the songs too.

🎶 My Favorite Tracks from Steve Goodman’s Debut

While I love all the songs on the album, Side Two was the one I played the most (yes, I think everyone always had a favorite side on an album). Here are six of my favorite songs from Steve Goodman (1971):

Side One

  • The I Don’t Know Where I’m Going But I’m Goin’ Nowhere in a Hurry Blues
    This one pops up in the jukebox in my head all the time. “It was on a Sunday morning about a hundred years or so…”
  • Donald & Lydia
    A beautiful, heartfelt cover of the John Prine original.
  • You Never Even Call Me By My Name
    Later made famous by David Allan Coe — but this is where it started.

Side Two

  • City of New Orleans
    The “best damn train song” Prine ever heard. And one that helped define Goodman’s legacy.
  • Turnpike Tom
    Another one that’s always in my mental jukebox — I just love the story.
  • Yellow Coat and Would You Like to Learn to Dance
    These show Steve’s softer, tender side. Both are among my favorite ballads by anyone.

Who Was Steve Goodman?

Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was a folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote “City of New Orleans,” co-wrote “You Never Even Called Me by My Name,” and penned the Chicago Cubs anthem “Go Cubs Go.”

Goodman passed away from leukemia in 1984, but left behind one of the most enduring catalogs in American folk music.

Links For the Further Exploration of the Music of Steve Goodman

AllMusic

Facebook – Fans & Friends

Wikipedia

Amazon

🎧 Listen to Steve Goodman’s Debut Album Playlist

This album has been part of my life for over 50 years. Every time I hear one of these songs, I’m back in Gainesville, with the volume up and the liner notes wide open.

Livingston Taylor – a Long Time Favorite Revisited

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Lingston Taylor - debut album

So all this writing about older albums that I don’t have in my library  has made me think about favorite albums I do have and have loved and listened to for years. Well, today I decided to listen to one of those albums I’ve loved for years.  I gave Livingston Taylor’s self-titled debut album. And I still love it after 54 years! Now Liv’s brother James’ Sweet Baby James album came first and was played a lot. I bet Liv’s album has been played more over the years.

About Livingston Taylor – Livingston Taylor

For me there is not a bad song on this album.

It would be difficult not to compare Livingston Taylor’s self-titled 1970 debut to his brother’s second solo release, Sweet Baby James, as the latter certainly brought attention to the former, but the Jon Landau-produced disc crafted in Macon, GA, is a world unto itself. Ten originals by Taylor along with one cover, the Earl Greene and Carl Montgomery country standard “Six Days on the Road,” make for a pleasantt

Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer Alex Taylor, and innkeeper and singer Hugh Taylor.[[2

He has had top 40 hits such  “Carolina Day,” “Get out of Bed,” “I Will Be in Love with You” and “I’ll Come Running,” to “I Can Dream of You” and “Boatman,”( the last two recorded by his brother James), Livingston’s creative output has continued unabated. His musical knowledge has inspired a varied repertoire, and he is equally at home with a range of musical genres—folk, pop, gospel, jazz. You can also find Livingston performing with a full symphony  orchestea.

About His Debut Album and More……

I don’t think  there are many albums that I can sing along  to every song in the album, but this one I can. From the opening song “Sit On Back” to the closing  “Thank You Song”. I love them all!
Of course the are a few that play on the “jukebox on my mind” more than others. Like “Packet of Good Times” that I sing to Emma when I’m rocking her to sleep. And “Six Days on the Road” during car trips.

After his 19770 debut album  Livingston Taylor., his next three albums Liv ((1971), Over the Rainbow (1973) and 3-Way Mirror (1978) made it into my vinyl collection. Of those albums Liv is my favorite. Although  I do love his cover of “Over the Rainbow”

Between 1978 and 1988 Live released two Albums Echoes a compilation album and Man’s Best Friend a children’s album. Since then he has released seven more albums. Of those seven albums Life is Good (1988),  (1996) and There You are Again ((2006) are in my musical library. And after listening yesterday to 2010’s Last Alaskan Moon I will be on the lookout for that album!

Artist’s Website
Facebook
X
Instagram 
YouTube
Amazon

The Playlist

Here are six of my favorite Livingston Taylor songs, Well, five and one that will be!

Jack Williams – Across the Winterline – A favorite!

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So I started off Saturday morning by deciding I would listen to some music from each of the music genres I listen to most often. Sometimes it would be new music and sometimes music that,s been in my music library for a long time.

Discovering Jack Williams

I actually picked an album that’s been in my library since the late 90s early 00s. Jack Williams’ 1997 release Across the Winterline. I bought the CD in the bargain bin at Tunes in Mount Laurel, NJ. I bought it at a time when my sons and I would go to Tunes almost every week. They were in their teens and I was getting back into buying music for me!

Anyway I fell in love with Jack’s guitar playing and his songs about life in the south i’ve been a fan since then .

The Music of Jack Williams

From Jack’s website

Jack Williams’ music has its , roots in his native South Carolina. Additionally, it has been shaped by his 65-year career. Along the way Jack has played folk, rock, jazz, R&B, classical and the popular music of the 30s, 40s and 50s.

He is counted among the most dynamic performers of his day– Dave Humphreys of Two-Way Street Coffeehouse in Downer’s Grove, IL.says Jack is“…one of the most enlightened and entertaining performers I’ve ever encountered“

Jack is considered a “musician’s musician”, an uncommonly unique guitarist, a writer of vivid songs with a strong sense of place, and a storyteller in an old Southern tradition who further illustrates each tale with his guitar

Buzz from his website

“…. his artistry… is nothing short of amazing. Dazzling picking, expressive voice, unique and interesting songs. He is a showman in the best sense of the word and just wowed our audience. I think they would have followed him anywhere.”
Rich Warren, WFMT “Midnight Special”, Chicago IL

I posted the above stuff from his website because they can tell you about Jack better than I can! All I can say he’s great and listen to his wonderful music! As for me, I need to check out and get a couple of his recent CDs

Artist’s Webstie
Facebook
Youtube
Jack’s Store

The Video

Here’s Jack performing a song from Across the Winterliine “Mama Lou” One of my favorites>

 

Paul Siebel – Looking Back Woodsmoke and Oranges

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Paul Siebel - Woodsmoke & Oranges

 

Discovering Paul Siebel

Continuing with yesterday‘s thread on the Facebook Record Collectors Group, I have Paul Siebel‘s album Woodsmoke & Oranges spinning on my turntable tonight. I bought the album, when it first came out in 1970, based on the glowing review about the album I read in some music magazine. Additionally I may have been convinced to buy the album, when I saw that the following musicians played in the album…

…. guitarist David Bromberg, violinist Richard Greene, and steel guitarist Weldon Myrick –

Paul Siebel was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the mid to late 60s. At Wikipedia I found the following….

An article in The New York Times on February 14, 1970, written by Mike Jahn, described Siebel as “a folk singer with a country and Western bias … a 32‐year‐old native of Buffalo and musically a product of the Greenwich Village folk scene” and said that he “sings in high nasal and hillbilly manner, rather like Bob Dylan’s singing in his early days”, referring to his songs as “uncomplicatdiscographyed country and folk songs, with occasional thoughts about such things as suburban living and raising children”.

Paul Siebel’s Discography MinimaI but Impactful……

Paul Siebel only released two albums Woodsmoke & Oranges and Jack -Knife Gypsy. But several of the songs from those albums have been covered by….

….among others, Bromberg, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Jeff Walker, Kate Wolf, Mary McCaslin, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Rick Roberts and Leo Kottke.

Jerry Jeff Covers Three Favorites

Over the years Jerry Jeff Walker has covered my three favorite songs from the album. They are: “Louise”, “Long Afternoons” and “Then Came the Children”

Sadly, After 1971, his songwriting production stopped. Siebel became depressed and developed drug problems. He passed  away in 2022.

The Playlist

Now  l could just play any of my three favorite songs from Woodsmoke & Oranges but here’s those three songs from both Paul and Jerry Jeff Walker! Enjoy I know I will…..

 

Jimmie Spheeris – Isle of View : Looking Back

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Isle of View - Jimmie Spheeris

The Post Request….

Ok so today on the Record Collectors Facebook  Group a member asked people to dig into their collection and post an album that is  unknown and/or obscure. Well, I have many vinyl albums that fit that description! And many more CDs that do also!

However the album I decided to listen to and write about is the debut album from singer-songwriter Jimmie Spheeris Isle  of View. (Say it three or more times fast). Anyway the album has been one of my favorite quiet night albums since I bought in in the early 70s! However, I think Jimmie’s music has largely been forgotten because his career was cut short by a tragic accident.

\The Tragic Accident

From Wikipedia…

Spheeris died at the age of 34 in Santa Monica, California, when his motorcycle collided with a van at 2 a.m. on the morning of July 4, 1984. The driver of the van, Bruce Burnside, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and felony vehicular manslaughter.

About Jimmie Spheeris

From Wikipedia….

Jimmie Spheeris (November 5, 1949 – July 4, 1984) was an American singer-songwriter who released four albums in the 1970s on the Columbia Records and Epic Records labels.

Spheeris primarily composed on the guitar and piano. His musical genre was generally in the folk music and singer-songwriter traditions, although later work explored jazz, rock music, jazz-rock fusion and new wave music.

With few exceptions, Spheeris’ guitar compositions employed the use of open tunings, also referred to as alternate tunings. Johnny Pierce (November 30, 1953 – December 12, 2005), worked with Spheeris as a recording session and touring artist from 1973 to 1980, and wrote extensive guitar tablature regarding the tunings Spheeris used throughout his career.[6]

Spheeris’ vocal range was primarily baritone and tenor, with occasional falsetto flourishes. His voice is most often described by music critics and fans as “soulful,” “sultry,” or “smoky.” (Read More)

Links for the Further Exploration of the Music of Jimmie Spheeris

Artist Website
Discogs
Wikipedia
AllMusic

The Video

Without a doubt my favorite Jimmie Spheeris song – “I am the Mercury”

 

Stillhouse Junkies – Small Towns

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Since this week’s theme is “It’s been a long time”, the first Roots Music charts I looked at this week we’re the Folk and Bluegrass Charts. Those charts along with the Folk DJ and Euro-Americana charts were where I found most of the new music I liked. However over the last several years, I have listened to more Blues, Jazz and New Age music. One of the reasons is many of my favorite artists including; Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, John Prine, Leonard Cohen and Jesse Winchester have passed away and I can’t seem to find replacements for them.

Anyway, in the early part of this week I gave several albums the 30-45 second test and came up with a few albums to explore in more depth. And some  that will be in my music rotation for a while. The first album I’m going to write about is Small Towns the latest release from Stillhouse Junkies. Currently, the album sits at number 3 on the chart.  Since I had never heard of the band I had to do a little exploring, Here’s what I found!

Stillhouse Junkies

About Stillhouse Junkies

The band was formed in a distillery in Durango, CO and have garnered a good deal of notoriety. They were named a 2021 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year, Additionally they have been a two-time Telluride Bluegrass band contest finalists. As well as, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival showcase artist and 2020 & 2021 IBMA World of Bluegrass showcase artists. Not bad for just starting out,

eh?

Stillhouse Junkies is comprised of three very talented musicians and songwriters. As such they share both lead vocal and songwriting duties. The three band members are fiddler Alissa  Wolf, bassist Cody Tinnin and and quitarist, banjo and mandolin picker Fred Kodak. Together, according to their website, they play a “delirious, head-spinning mixture of original roots, blues, funk, swing, and bluegrass music.” Again from their biography>>>>

 the Junkies conjure a wide range of tonal landscapes that pay tribute to the iconic sounds of Gillian Welch, the Allman Brothers, Tim O’Brien, the Wood Brothers, John Hiatt, and countless others while breaking new musical ground with their genre-bending original material.

The Bottom Line

I’ve only listened to Small Towns a few times but each time I listen to the album I discover something new. On the first listen the first thing that caught my attention was Alissa’s fine fiddling and Cody;s bass. However, on subsequent listens Ive heard some good picking from Fred!

Favorite tracks right now are “River of the Lost Souls” and “Colorado Bound”. I do think though as I listen to more songs several more may become favorites! So Check It Out!

However, don’t just take my word to it! Here’s what some others say about Stillhouse Junkies

Listeners can expect a riveting ride through the terrain Stillhouse Junkies bring to life in their music, and a confirmation of why the group was voted the 2021 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year. — No Depression

Stillhouse Junkies make a mighty big joyful noise for a trio!  There is some really fine pickin’ and songwritin’ within. That riff from the title cut, ‘Hillbilly Poetry’, especially grabbed my ear.  Y’all really need to check them out.

— Becky Buller, The Becky Buller Band

Here’s one of my favorite tracks on Small Towns “Colorado Bound”

 

Links for the Further Exploration of the Stillhouse Junkies

Artist’s website
Facebook
Instagram
Amazon