Various Artists - O Sister 2
O Sister 2 continues what was started with O Sister. It continues to take an in-depth look at the many talented female performers over the past few decades in the field of Bluegrass music. Up until recently, when Alison Krauss more or less opened the door for mainstream female talent, you would almost never see a woman on the stage at a Bluegrass show. If you did see one, they were most likely either married to a performer or family. Now you have headlining females such as Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent and many others. It is no longer just a male 'thing.'
Along with some of the incredible talents of today, O Sister 2 has an in-depth look at the talents of women who chose to perform this type of music a few decades ago. Even though they may not have gotten the recognition at the time, these are the women who laid the groundwork for the artists of today. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, Claire Lynch and Wilma Lee Cooper are a few that come to mind. As early as 1938, Wilma Lee Cooper was starting to make a mark on the music world.
This album has everything from the slow, haunting ballads to the upbeat and lively tunes. 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. "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. One other song that really stood out for me was from Wilma Lee Cooper. "Poor Ellen Smith" is a fun song with a great tempo. The instrumentals on it are great with the percussion really standing out. This is just a great overall album if you enjoy the Bluegrass sound.
Reviewed by Jolene Downs.
