Search - Jeanie West :: Country Bluegrass

Rough-edged, rustic '60s truegrass

Joe Sixpack -- Slipcue.com | ...in Middle America | 04/10/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A fine reissue of two albums from the '60s boom, with North Carolina native Jeanie West fronting a competent, mildly clattersome band through a nice set of traditional songs and old-timey oldies. Originally issued on LP as "Roamin' The Blue Ridge" and "Country Music In Blue Grass Style," from 1960 or thereabouts. One album has Jeanie West singing unaccompanied, the other is a nice series of rough-cut duets with husband Harry West, music that, as the album title implies, hearkens back to the days when the dividing line between "country" and "old time" music was much more nebulous than it would later become. West's super-rural, unabashedly hillbilly delivery has hints of Molly O'Day's old Depression-era recordings, but also, in an interesting way, of the more contemporary sound of Jimmy Martin, who also melded the bluesiness of country with the propulsive acoustic style adopted by the bluegrass crowd. Country Gentlemen co-founder Bill Emerson contributes solid banjo picking on both albums, anchoring the band, and adding a muscular oompf that helps boost the energy level. The rugged vocals and primitive sound mix might not appeal to everyone, but I think this is an album well worth picking up, particularly for the West's ability to bring out the lyrics in each and every song. Recommended!"