Category: Twang Tuesday

Twangy Tuesday Bluegrass listening and Toe Tapping

Frank Solivan Rescues a So-So Twang Tuesday

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Frank Solivan - Selfish Tears



So some days everything I listen to is enjoyable and well other days it’s just so-so! Guess which one today was! Well not the former – yes it’s Twangy Tuesday and I went looking for some new twang mostly on the bluegrass side.

The Box Cars – The Box Cars Kicked Off the Day

I started by listening to an album that I was really looking forward to hearing The Boxcars self-titled release. I was looking forward to it because two of my favorites are in the band Adam Steffey and Rob Stewart both two of the best pickers around.

Steffey won two IBMA awards in 2010 one for mandolin player of the year and the second an Instrumental Performance Award. But after two listens to the first part of the album I just can’t warm up to it – now I’m not writing it off yet – it may be on a different day or on a more thorough listen, I’ll really like it! Let’s hope!.

Next Came Tennessee Mafia Jug Band – Barnyard Frolic

After The Boxcars I listened to a few tracks from the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and their 2008 release Barnyard Frolic again while it was good the album just didn’t grab me – like I said maybe it was just the day.

Then Frank Solivan

After lunch and reading a comment on my Favorite Bluegrass Bands of 2010 post at No Depression that I should check out Frank Solivan and Dirty kitchen I went to Rhapsody and the album was not there but Frank’s 2006 release Selfish Tears was, so I gave it a listen – hum some good picking and singing. This one did catch my attention so I kept it in the back of my mind.

Next Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers’and Ned Crisp and Bottomline

After dinner I checked out a couple of albums from the bluegrass charts at the Roots Music Report Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers’ Rambler’s Call and Ned Crisp and Bottomline’s Taking the Back Roads Home both good traditional bluegrass albums but again they didn’t quite fit my mood tonight!

Finally Brandon Jenkins’ album Brothers of the Dirt.

Later I checked out Brandon Jenkins’ album Brothers of the Dirt. This album is more like what I am looking for the first track “Blood for Oil” was good and then I kinda lost interest! So far all of the albums were pretty good and all deserve another listen on another night!

A Night Ending Return to Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen

So at the end of the night I listened to Frank Solivan again and that one does have some really good tracks on it and will definitely get another listen. Oh no I remember the closing track “Scorchin’ the Gravy”. Now that was what I was looking for!!

So let’s listen tomorrow and maybe I’ll find Frank Solivan and Dirty kitchen which is probably pretty damn good!

2026 Update: After first discovering Frank Solivan’s solo album Selfish Tears in this 2011 post, I eventually explored more of his music. I did find Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen;s self-titled debut album. It WAS terrific and I became a fan!

Check out my full Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen artist page for later albums, band info, and playlists.

Update No 2 : The reason that Brandon Jenkins album didn’t feel right was that he is not a bluegrass musician. He was a according to wikipedia part of the Red Dirt music genre.

The Playlist

Here’s a Baker’s Dozen Playlist with songs from the albums I listened to that day – they all sound pretty good t me!

y’s Missing You”!

Sierra Hull and Highway 111 on a “Twang Tuesday”

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sierra hull - secrets album

Originally published Nov 2010 Revised and Updated July 2026


So a while ago I wrote about the great young fiddler Amanda Shaw. When the post was on No Depression one of the comments was that maybe she could team with equally young Sierra Hull, who plays mandolin to form a wunderkid band!

So never having heard of Sierra Hull I visited her website and one of the first things that stood out were these quotes”

“Sierra Hull is without doubt my favorite mandolin player!” – Adam Steffey – pretty high praise from a great mandolin player!

“Every so often, a talent comes along that makes us sit up and take notice. That time is now for Sierra Hull.” -SAM BUSH – again some greater praise from a great picker!

Award Nominations for Sierra Hull

Then I see that Sierra and her band Highway 111 were nominated for two IBMA awards in 2010 first for Emerging Artist Of the Year – Sierra & Highway 111 and then *Mandolin Player Of the Year – Sierra!

Finally, I see that her latest album and first national release Secrets was co-produced by Ron Block,(who’s worked with Alison Kraus and plays on the album along with Barry Bales, Dennis Crouch, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Clay Hess, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, Tony Rice, Dan Tyminski, Jim VanCleve, and the remarkably hard-driving seventeen-year-old banjo phenom Cory Walker, who has already played alongside Sierra for several years.

My Thoughts

So needless to say I quickly downloaded the album and have been listening to it for the last week or so and it is a great album. Sierra voice reminds me of a young Alison Kraus. It’s never over powering and fits perfectly with the music, which as expected is very very good.

While I like the whole album the two tracks that do keep catching my attention are the two instrumental tracks “Smashville” and “Hullarious” both dynamite tracks!

So check out the phenom from Byrdstown Tennessee. Oh by the way this young woman who started playing mandolin at eight she just finished high school this year and will be going to Berklee College of Music next year on a full scholarship!

2026 Update

Since this post was written in 2010 Sierra Hull has released four additional albums

  • Daybreak – 2010
  • Weighted Mind (2015)
  • 25 Trips (2020)
  • A Tip Toe High Wire (2025)

In addition she has won numerous awards and honors.

Hull has won ten International Bluegrass Music Association awards between 2010 and 2023, including winning best mandolin player in 6 out of the past 8 years (2016-2023).[13]

Hull received the Bluegrass Star Award, presented by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, on October 19, 2013. The award is bestowed upon bluegrass artists who do an exemplary job of advancing traditional bluegrass music and bringing it to new audiences while preserving its character and heritage

The young woman has done really well – now if I had listened to my adivice I’d know those four albums listed abovr! Instead of needing to listen to them now!

Twang Tuesday – John Cowan – The Massenburg Sessions

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John Cowan - The Massenburg Sessions

Originally Post September 2010 Revised and Updated July 2026

Ok so these last few months I’ve spent so much time looking for new musicians that I missed a new album by a favorite! Back in April, John Cowan released a new album The Massenberg Sessions. Originally Posted Swptember 2010 revised and Updated July 2026

About The Massenburg Sessions

For this album John worked with mastering engineer George Massenburg known for his work with folks like Little Feat, Dixie Chicks, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman and others. The album was recorded live in the studio. There was no overdubbing or editing, and the musicians didn’t even use headphones. There was no mixing and the sound on the album came from the placement of the microphones and the instruments in the studio! The result is a great album!!

The album opens with a jump blues classic that I know from B.B. King “Caledonia”! All the tracks are great in their own way, some highlights for me  include: “Black Blizzard” a song where  Cowan’s voice soars accompanied only by  Shad Cobb’s fiddle,  a  cover Paul and Linda McCartney’s ” Heart of the Country” (What that wasn’t a bluegrass song?).  The Del McCourey Band joins John for a cover of  Bill Monroe’s “Can’t You Hear Me Callin'”.

The Voice of John Cowan and Some Great Friends Help Out

I’ve said before that for me there a few voices as great as John Cowan’s!! I loved it when he sang with the New Grass Revival and also his own band !  It’s one of those things, yes, he could sing the phone book and I’d probably love it!!

Anyway thankfully, he has some great songs to work with and musically some help from friends including, Del McCoury, Reese Wynans and Maura O’Connell.

I usually don’t like gospel tracks but again anything John sings sounds great and the a cappella version of “Jesus Gave Me Water” is great. Maura O’Connell joins John on a Cajun, Celtic version of the traditional song “Lakes of the Ponchartrain”  The album ends with the beautiful Cowan and Jon Randall Stewart song  “Soiled Dove”.

Final Thoughts

The album features some good picking but the center of it all is Cowan’s voice and on this album it is at it’s best. I know that the album is going to stay around on the player for a long time. So if you don’t know John Cowan’s voice do your self a favor and listen to what may be Cowan’s best album yet!!

Hey, I’m listening to “Long Road Back to You” another great track! Did I cover every track yet?? No I missed this one “Carry On”!

The Voice

Here’s John performing “Jesus Gave Me Water”

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper Leavin’ Town on a “Twang Tuesday”

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Leavin' Town - Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Originally Posted Aug 2010 Revised and Updated July 2026

A Jazzy Beginning Leads To Some Bluesgrass Keepers

A Jazzfter listening to Blackberry Smoke I was doing some writing and needed to listen to something without words, so I put on some Wynton Kelly, piano. Kelly played a lot with Miles Davis and Wes Montgomery and is a fine jazz pianist. I listened to an album of about six songs all very good jazz! 

Then it was time for sone twang I had checked the Roots Music Report and found a couple of names I didn’t know and went to Rhapsody to listen.

Two Bluegrass Discoveries – Michael Cleveland and Frank Solivan


The two artist were Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper and Frank Solivan and the Dirty Kitchen. Both albums were pure bluegrass and really good. I really didn’t listen that closely to all the tracks but the picking and vocals were both really good. Like Blackberry Smoke they both will be downloaded for some further listening.

The Michael Cleveland album that I listened to was Leavin’ Town and like I said I was impressed. When I came home I went to the band’s website and read that the song “Jerusalem Ridge,” won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s 2009 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year!

It was great to know that what impresses me also impresses others that know more about music then I do! Cleveland’s other albums have been award winners also Let’er Go Boys (2006)was voted Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association. Live at The Ragged Edge the 2004 release by Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland was also Instrumental Album of the Year, International Bluegrass Music Association as was Michael Cleveland’s Flamethrower.

About Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper

Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeeper band is composed of: Michael Cleveland on fiddle. As I said previously Michael has won all kinds of awards. In addition to the one’s listed above at the 2001 IBMA awards, Mike took his first Fiddle Player of the Year award, and shared the title of Entertainer of the Year with Rhonda Vincent and the Rage.

In 2002 Mike rejoined The Dale Ann Bradley Band. That year he won the Fiddle Player of the Year award and again in 2004. And the list goes on and on.

  • Jesse Brock the 2009 IBMA Mandolin Performer of the Year is on mandolin,
  • Tom Adams , vocals and guitar,
  • Marshall Wilborn on bass and vocals and rounding out the band
  • Jesse Baker on banjo.

All in all an impressive lineup and deserving of their awards! So Check them Out! I know I’m going to listen some more to Leavin’ Town and then some of the other albums!

Artist’s Website
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YouTube
Amazon

The Video


Here’s Michael performing one of my favorite songs “Lee Highway Blues”