Our new album "Ramblin On" hit #2 on the APD Global Radio Indicator Charts for Bluegrass this week! Check it out using the link below on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Deezer, iTunes, Etc.
Be sure to add it to your library and follow us!
I played an Alan Bibey Model Gibson Mando on all tracks except Tipsy Gypsy, where I used a Buckeye Mandolin.
https://thejacktownramblers.hearnow.com/ramblin-on
Alan N. (Longtime Cafe Member) wrote us a review for the album: Thanks Alan!!
The JackTown Ramblers’ new release Ramblin’ On highlights the passion, breadth and inherent musicality of the seasoned musicians who make up this well-oiled and strong-sounding 4-piece bluegrass band. Featuring a delightful mix of the old and new, the scope of songs and the talents of the members keep the listener’s interest and showcase the musicians in good stead. The classic combination of 5-string banjo (Brett Setzer), flat-top guitar (Shannon Leasure), mandolin (Gabriel Wiseman) and string bass (Mike Ramsey), all deftly played and well-balanced in the mix, delivers the generous 10-song repertoire in fine form. Exhibiting traits from the 2nd and 3rd generational mix, the band’s formidable debut effort features material and a delivery style which recalls the timeless wellspring of IIIrd Tyme Out, The Lonesome River Band and J.D. Crowe & The New South.
Home Sweet Home Revisited will surely draw the inevitable comparison to the benchmark version recorded decades ago on RR0044, and here The Ramblers breathe new life into the classic song, with a lovely mandolin intro, deft guitar work and a tight vocal harmony, all encased in a sparse, laid-back framework. Robbie Robertson’s Ophelia, a song tailor-made for bluegrass treatment, is given a hearty go by the band, with a perfect banjo intro. Gabriel Wiseman sings the song in fine fashion and it would be of little wonder if more bands didn’t bring this tune into the fold after hearing The Ramblers’ strong take. Cedar Hill, the Grisman mandolin tour-de-force, is given solid treatment by all, with a swift, swing-backed guitar rhythm along with lovely lead lines; it even gets the modulation-to-A up-lift at the end. The catchy banjo tune Raindrops, composed by Brett Setzer, features well-played solos by both Brett and Gabe. Typsy Gypsy, harkening back to the days of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, is given a personalized approach by all, with mandolin, guitar and banjo contributing scintillating solos, all anchored by a solid bass line. On the songwriter front, Gabe contributes the up-tempo lost love tome Another Girl Left Crying, a song with a modern chord progression that truly moves along. On the trad front, the Jimmie Davis classic Shackles and Chains is given a nice duet treatment and rounding out the program, #She’s Gone Gone Gone brings the band full-circle to a New South-era vibe.
This release introduces The JackTown Ramblers to the larger bluegrass audience in a strong, pleasing way and will surely be a joy to their burgeoning fan-base.
Alan Niederland
