NEWGRANGE
NewGrange (Compass)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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If any band in the field of Americana deserves the approbation "supergroup," it has to be NewGrange. Anyone with a passing familiarity with folk, country or bluegrass music is bound to recognize at least some of the six names that make up the group. Originally called together by Mike Marshall (guitar, mandolin) and Darol Anger (fiddle, octave mandolin), for a 1998 Christmas album, the lineup includes Philip Aaberg (piano, accordion), Alison Brown (banjo, mandolin), Tim O'Brien (vocals, bouzuki, mandolin, banjo) and Todd Phillips (bass, mandolin).

This ultimate string band plus has put together a wonderful collection of traditional and original tunes, covering a wide range of styles. They fully exploit the possibilities inherent in having a half a dozen multi-instrumentalists offering more than a dozen instruments and a range of combinations that, well, I'm not going to do the math, but they have enough to do damn near anything they want damn near any way they want. And they do most of it someplace within these 12 tracks.

With every member of the band deserving a featured role, one of the most amazing things about NewGrange is their ability to play as a cohesive unit. It's a mark of mutual respect and appreciation for one another, and the result is pure pleasure for the listener.

The band may have started out as a holiday one-off project, but it's fast become a year-round present to the musical world.

Track List:

Handsome Molly * Sally Ann * Under The Hood * Rock In A Weary Land * Cabin Waltz * Goin' To Boston * Weetabix * Round Trip * Stone Coal West Virginia * Shoot The Moon * Land's End * Music Tree

© 2000 - Shaun Dale