River Wild
Organic, 2022
8/10
Jeremy Garrett has made quite a name for himself playing with the Grammy winning outfit Stringdusters, and here he returns to his bluegrass roots with a very diverse and accomplished batch of mostly originals, some of which are instrumentals.
“I Am The River Wild” opens the listen with Garrett’s expressive singing and warm fiddle complemented by Seth Taylor’s guitar and Russell Carson’s banjo in the cautious, rootsy setting, and “What’s That You’re Doin’?” follows with swift string acrobatics thanks to Alan Bibey’s mandolin and Gena Britt’s banjo as a timeless bluegrass climate unfolds.
Further along, “Foxtail” displays meticulous picking from Garrett, Bibey and Ryan Cavanaugh’s banjo in the sublime instrumental landscape, while “Once You’re Gone” welcomes Josh Shilling’s glorious harmony vocals amid Barry Bales’ strategic bass and Bibey’s incredible mandolin in the album’s best.
Deeper still, the setting enters balladry with Bill Monroe’s emotive “Kentucky Waltz”, and “Burning The Slash” exits the listen with just Garett solo on fiddle in the stunning execution of string manipulation.
For fans of bluegrass, new and old, it just doesn’t get much better than this, as Garrett and company glide through pop, newgrass and soulful textures.
Travels well with: Balsam Range- Moxie And Mettle; Dale Ann Bradley- Things She Couldn’t Get Over