| O Sister 2 - Various Artists | |
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Reviewed by Jolene Downs
Rounder Records has released the second album in a wonderful series. It is called O Sister 2. It continues the look at the women in Bluegrass and the contributions they have made throughout history. Until recently, you would be hard-pressed to see a woman performing in the Bluegrass field. If there was a woman performing, she was generally connected to a male member either through marriage or blood relative. This is fortunately not the case today.
This album is packed with great songs from women who love the history and the sound of Bluegrass. There has always been great talent with the women of Bluegrass and now we have a chance to hear what they recorded. In 1986, a young lady blew the lid off the conventional way of thinking. Barely a teenager at the time, Alison Krauss was part of Union Station, the band that won the Kentucky Fried Chicken Bluegrass Festival's Best New Band. Her fiddle playing was incredible and her vocals were amazingly powerful. She very possible opened the floodgates for the mainstreaming of the female artists, and she continues to perform with Union Station today.
There are many songs on this album that seemed to reach out and grab me. The style varies from the old-time style reminiscent of The Carter Family to the more modern styles of Alison Krauss and Rhonda Vincent. I was also pleased to hear a song from a long time favorite. Jeannie Kendall, part of the country duo The Kendalls, lends her talents to the album.
Laurie Lewis sings "Tall Pines." This song strongly showcases her fiddling and vocal skills. It is a song with a melody that I fully equate with the old-time country sound. If you close your eyes while listening to this song, you can imagine yourself in a beautiful valley surrounded by tall pines.
Alecia McRight is a newcomer to the field and shows us her stuff on "I'll Stay Around." It has an upbeat melody and she has help on the background vocals from Rhonda Vincent. She says that she'll stay around for when his true love can't be found.
One of my favorite songs was from Jeannie Kendall. "I Wonder Where You Are Tonight" is taken from the album completed after the death of her father and long-time singing partner, Royce Kendall. He provided background vocals to her distinctive lead vocals. It is a hauntingly sad song and Jeannie does a superb job with it.
Rhonda Vincent shows us why she is one of the top Bluegrass artists of today with "Pretending I Don't Care." He is seemingly happy with another, but she is sure that he still is thinking of her. She says that like him, she is pretending that she doesn't care.
"Love Me or Leave Me Alone" makes great use of the banjo. I can listen to this kind of music all day long. It emphasizes the instrumentals, but Hazel Dickens gives a strong vocal performance as well.
Tanya Savory performs the song "Reason Enough." If you truly listen to the lyrics you will find that there is always a reason for the things that happen and that everything happens for a reason.
"Montana Cowboy" is a contribution from the 1970's. Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard combine their incredible talents on this one, and it is beautifully done.
"Poor Ellen Smith" has a great tempo. Wilma Lee Cooper sings this with great instrumental back up. The percussion really stands out on this one.
This is a great album for the Bluegrass fan. These ladies have incredible talent and it is wonderful to hear so much great music in one spot. There is something for everyone. There are full fledged ballads that make you run for the box of tissues, in-your-face songs that tell it like it is, and the up-tempo songs that make you want to get up and move to the music.
Song List:
Album cover, used with permission of Rounder.
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