Search - Bluegrass Etc :: Home Is Where the Heart Is

Contemporary bluegrass that strikes gold

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 05/25/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 47:32 -- On "Home is Where the Heart is," Bluegrass Etc. strikes gold with their brand of contemporary bluegrass. As a followup to their excellent 1997 release, this album released in 1999 delivers the same spine-tingling gripping performance that they have come to be known for. Their formula is the same - memorable songs, outstanding picking, and appealing vocals. To really succeed in bluegrassdom, a band's got to have heart, body and soul. Bluegrass Etc. shows that they've got it. The lineup is John Moore (mandolin, guitar, bass, vocals), Dennis Caplinger (banjo, fiddle, vocals), Curtis Jones (guitar), Wally Barnick (bass, vocals). You may remember that Moore picked with the band California, IBMA's 1992, 1993 and 1994 Instrumental Band of the Year, until they disbanded in 1996. Like Moore, Dennis Caplinger is a busy studio musician who has played in numerous film soundtracks, commercials and television shows. I believe that Jones and Barnick joined Bluegrass Etc. the same year that this album was released, replacing Larry Park on bass and Steve Spurgin on guitar who moved on to other endeavors.



Bluegrass Etc.'s third CD shows that their extraordinary instrumental technique just keeps getting better and better. Half of the twelve tracks are instrumentals, and the guys really tear them up with some phenomenal jaw-dropping speed and dexterity. After opening with an inspired "Sweet Georgia Brown," a few tracks later find them flying through a Bill Monroe medley of "Roanoke" and "Wheel Hoss." The funky prelude to Ralph Stanley's "Clinch Mountain Backstep" is powerful stuff. A workmanlike "Did You Ever Meet the Devil, Uncle Joe?" is solid and smooth. This is the kind of bluegrass picking that will warm your blood a few degrees. Two compositions by Curtis Jones ("Amelia in Flight" and "Emerald Isle") definitely fall into the newgrass realm.



Part of their formula is to slow things down a notch with their vocal numbers. Their voices are well blended and immediately appealing, and they tend to gravitate towards material with hard-hitting evocative messages. A cover of Hal Ketchum's "Someplace Far Away" evokes images of a pioneer family and their dreams. Three numbers, including the title track, come from the pen of John Lowell (of Kane's River fame). The band gives a compelling essence to ballads like Lowell's "Sarah Hogan" or Hoyt Axton's "Evangelina." If I were to have one minor criticism, it would be that they should strive for more variety and diversity in the songs they sing. The album's folksy closer, John Hadley's "Houndogs Never Die," is a sad tale which still leaves us with a uplifting note of optimism. Bluegrass Etc. features two lead singers in Moore and Barnick.



Bluegrass Etc.'s presentation is nothing short of astonishing. I might've put a little more of Caplinger's fiddle into the mix but this project shakes out as a very entertaining journey with a unique progressive flair. Although this was a 1999 release, Bluegrass Etc. continues to tour the world, and they perform a couple hundred shows annually. Their charismatic signature sound has just the right touches to bring a brigade of fans to bluegrass music in the 21st Century. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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