Search - Jim Van Cleve :: No Apologies

The Musical Intensity of Mountain Heart burns on this CD

Mark J. Fowler | Okinawa, Japan | 07/25/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jim Van Cleve is a talented fiddler - I knew that from his work with Mountain Heart - but man, oh man! This CD is just plain HOTTER than I was expecting. Mountain Heart in live performance is just remarkable - they absolutely storm the stage with burning Bluegrass that takes your breath away. On recordings they always sounded a little more... subdued. This recording is Mr. Van Cleve's solo debut, and he is helped considerably by his bandmates and a few "special guests" like Ronnie Bowman, Sonya Isaacs, Rob Ickes, Ron Stewart and Bryan Sutton. Adding these superstars to Mountain Heart would be like adding Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens to the Yankees... gilding the lilly as it were.



Anyway, I received "No Apologies" from Amazon yesterday, and it absolutely burned. I can still smell my singed hair...



If you don't mind my saying - there has always been a slight disconnect in my ears between the "Live" Mountain Heart and the CDs: Live, Mountain Heart absolutely owns the stage, pouring out music that is not only good, but connecting to the audience members at some emotional, visceral level that makes you walk away from a Mountain Heart performance with your heart pounding and head shaking in excitement and wonder. On record the music is still good - make no mistake about it - but it doesn't crackle. "No Apologies" captures both the music AND the excitement in a way that makes this by FAR my leading candidate for "Best Bluegrass Recording" of this year. I'll be surprised if anything else released this year approaches it. Mr. Van Cleve's musical chops are in fine, FINE form. The double-stops on "We Can't Be Darlings" make my hair stand up (that is, the hairs that didn't get burned off by "Wheel Hoss" and "Train 45"). A co-worker just came by while "Scars" was playing to ask who that was...



It's worth mentioning that there is some genre blurring here - several of the cuts are state-of-the-art Bluegrass, but some, like the previously mentioned "Scars" has piano and a country-flavored pop sensibility. If you don't like a little variety in your music.... you're wrong, but you've been warned!



I'm spreading the word: Jim Van Cleve is one of America's great musicians, and this is a great CD."

A highly energetic & entertaining disc that is deliriously f

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 05/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 44:52 -- Fiddler Jimmy Van Cleve has made quite a bluegrass name for himself playing with Doyle Lawson, Ric-O-Chet, Lou Reid & Carolina, Rambler's Choice, and Mountain Heart. The latter group, formed in 1998, won IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year Award in 1999. Now, on his debut solo album "No Apologies," Van Cleve has the support of his current bandmates and other bluegrassers of incomparable talent. The result is supreme `grass that hits you like a runaway train. The musical thrust of "No Apologies" is simply hard-charging intensity and soulful loveliness that epitomizes the bluegrass spirit and beyond. Emphasizing their instrumental and melodic mettle, the formidable pickers treat us with snappy bursts of rhythm, hot licks and consummate radiance.



The artful approach of "No Apologies" has alluring je ne sais quoi (a quality hard to describe) as it covers a variety of territory. Whether your cup of tea is expressive new acoustic and reverberated pieces like "Highlands" and "Grey Afternoon," or the more traditional sensibilities of a very accessible and expressive "We Can't Be Darlings Anymore," Van Cleve and company show that their music can be both inspired and inspiring. All this from a 26-year-old! On this project, the fiddler also wears the hats of lead singer, harmony vocalist, producer, arranger, and composer. Van Cleve solely penned or contributed as a co-writer to six of the eleven tracks. Jim even displays some luminous vocal quality on "Way It Always Seems To Go," his debut as a lead singer. Written by Dennis McEntire, the barn-burning "Let The Big Dog Eat" has been getting considerable airplay. And if you don't think these guys can pick fast, then buckle up your seatbelts and give a listen to the closer, "Train 45."As a producer, Van Cleve partnered with Mark Bright to create an inspirational pop-influenced "Scars, " sung by Sonya Isaacs with seductive charm, accompanied by keys, guitar and strings. I like the variety; some others may feel a little uneasy at those points in the set with disparateness between songs. Besides the members of Mountain Heart (Adam Steffey, Clay Jones, Jason Moore, Steve Gulley and Barry Abernathy), other top-notch musicians making appearances include Rob Ickes, Bryan Sutton, Ronnie Stewart, Ronnie Bowman and Sonya Isaacs.



This is a highly energetic and entertaining disc that is deliriously fun and full of kick-up-your heels inspiration. This album is truly a crowning milestone for the eclectic and masterful Jim Van Cleve. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

"

Solo debut from Mountain Heart fiddler

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 05/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After six years as a co-founding member of Mountain Heart, 26-year-old fiddler VanCleve has stepped front and center to lead his first solo release. Though his Mountain Heart bandmates are on-board, this is clearly VanCleve's record, serving as producer and chief songwriter, and adding lead vocals on several tunes. Beyond his regular mates, he's brought complementary players to the sessions, including guitarists Rob Ickes and Bryan Sutton, banjoist Ron Stewart, and vocalists Ronnie Bowman and Sonya Isaacs. There are plenty of VanCleve's bluegrass roots to be heard here, including tight multipart harmonies and hot-picked instrumentals, but there are also moodier newgrass tunes that diverge from the standard canon to take in country, Celtic, jazz and other influences. This is a rich solo debut from an established group player. 3-3/4 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2006 hyperbolium dot com]"