Search - Woodys :: Telluride in Colorado (Jewl)

This dazzling duo's approach combines the pastoral with the

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 08/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 43:10 -- Dyann and Michael Woody (The Woodys) prove that they have myriad influences from country to folk, bluegrass to rock. The singing duo use an acoustic format with drums to present ten originals out of the total baker's dozen. "Telluride to Tennessee" enlists the support of some notable musicians from both the bluegrass and country-rock genres. the features Chris Hillman, Herb Pederson, Gretchen Peters, Pat Flynn, Al Perkins, Ronnie McCoury, Larry Atamaniuk, Mike Compton, Scott Vestal, Tammy Rogers and others. Fats Kaplan plays accordion and tin whistle on the Cajun-flavored "Kick Up the Dust." One of the best originals for bluegrass bands to cover is "Hillbilly at Heart."



Appealing primarily to fans of the Americana format, these songs will find their way to the airwaves of non-mainstream stations that simply like well-executed music with a bite. The Woodys were voted the top country vocal duo at the International Country Music News Awards in Belgium. They've also won an ASCAP songwriter award.



"Telluride to Tennessee," the Woodys' third release, varies the cadence between songs like the wistful country ballad "Long Time Gone" and "He's Back and I'm Blue." The latter was a hit for the Desert Rose Band in 1988. They clearly have their pulse on a new type of country music that is both funky ("Fork in the Road"), nostalgic ("Sin City"), sweet ("I Couldn't Love You Anymore"), and witty ("Bop Shebang").



The Woodys are now well-connected to the Nashville music scene, and their approach combines the pastoral with the raucous for a entertaining set with even a few classic country and bluegrass overtones. Their expressive vocals are never overshadowed by their sidemen. Born to sing, Dyann and Michael first met at college in Colorado. She was in all-woman R&B show band before moving to Los Angeles to work as an actress. She moved to Nashville in 1993. Michael had already located there in 1985 and was chasing success as a songwriter. The two were married in August 1993. With the help of producer Brian Ahern, their career as a duo was launched. With a number of albums and other recording projects under their belts, The Woodys are now well-established as the dazzling singing duo that they are. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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