Old Buck

Most of these tunes are as tried-and-true traditional old¬time as the classic instrumental line-up (fiddle, banjo, bass, guitar and mandolin) and the four members of this all¬star aggregation play them in an unpretentious manner. That’s both a virtue and a limitation: there isn’t much variety to the offerings here, and little in the way of virtuosic instrumental solos, if you crave that kind of thing. Emily Schaad’s fiddling is something of an exception, particularly on ‘John Sharp’s Tune’ and ‘Tippin’ Back the Corn’, and she plays well off the other instruments on the familiar ‘Willow Garden’, an Appalachian ballad with possible Irish roots, included in the bluegrass repertoire of the Stanley Brothers.

The vocals, likewise unaffected, are consistently pleasant, pairing guitarist Debra Clifford with banjoist Riley Baugus on ‘False Hearted Lover’s Blues’, and with bassist Sabra Guzman on ‘Soldier’s Farewell’, in a manner evocative of the Carter Family or Hazel Dickens. The Irish and English origins of American traditional music are showcased effectively, notably on ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’, well-known from versions by The Dubliners and Liam Clancy, which exemplifies the good vibes of the entire album.