THE GIBSON BROTHERS
Long Way Back Home (Sugar Hill)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich

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Long Way Back Home is a mixture of blue grass and country folk performed the way it should be, not as a cultural heritage of some bygone era, but as living music relevant to the here and now. Instead of music I swear Bill Monroe might have written, these songs sound crisp and vital, addressing modern themes. Several times I found myself thinking "That's the kind of tune Emmylou Harris would record, transforming it into her very own."

The Gibson Brothers feature Leigh Gibson: lead/harmony vocals, and guitar; Eric Gibson: lead/harmony vocals and banjo; Mike Barber: upright base; Marc MacGlashan: mandolin; Jason Carter: fiddle; Luke Bulla: fiddle; Russ Pohl: steel guitar; Sam Zucchini: percussion; Rob Ickus: dobro; and Alan Bertram: harmony vocals. The brothers wrote/cowrote seven of the thirteen numbers, and they have wisely selected their cover tunes.

The Gibson Brothers sound as if they are from the back hills of some southern state, yet they actually hail from upstate New York. It goes to show that when the muse calls, you answer. Regardless of locale. I strongly recommend this cd to lovers of good music. Combining taut, near perfect vocal harmonies with eloquent, passionate instrumentals, the Long Way Back Home is a genuinely moving performance by a superb group of musicians. That, my friends, is a combination worth the price of admission.

© 2004 - Ron Saranich