Vintage & Unique

Mandolinist John Reischman's relative obscurity outside of the insular bluegrass universe is by no means reflective of his standing in it. A virtuoso player and gifted composer, Reischman first gained notoriety playing with ‘new acoustic’ pioneers The Tony Rice Unit. Since then, he's carved out a career characterised by a penchant for blending genres and crosscutting period styles. Vintage & Unique is the fifth release by Reischman and The Jaybirds, also known as Jim Nunally (guitar, vocals), Trisha Gagnon (bass, vocals), Nick Hornbuckle (banjo) and Greg Spatz (fiddler). Like other similarly inclined ensembles from north of the US border, The Jaybirds find a peculiarly crystalline beauty in the Scots-Irish, English and Celtic ballads and folk tunes upon which the band's repertoire is based.

Robust harmonising from Nunally and Gagnon anchors several lyrical performances, notably ‘Hurry Up and Harvest’ and The Jaybirds’ refreshing take on the old chestnut ‘Shady Grove’. Gagnon sings lead on ‘Gold Mountain,’ her own composition and one of the album's standout tracks. The song is based on The Jaybirds’ collaborations with another Vancouver-based ensemble, Red Chamber, who specialise in music from the Tang Dynasty, as well as playing jazz, blues and other Western styles using ancient Chinese instruments. Reischman's original tune, ‘The Old Grove’, provides a rollicking, soulful groove perfectly honed for showcasing his and the band's unparalleled instrumental prowess. As the title implies, Vintage & Unique offers up a hybrid form of acoustic music, imbued with the familiar ring of bygone charms filtered through a uniquely contemporary interpretive process.