Calico

Perhaps skeptics will wonder if someone with a master's degree in ethnomusicology can really play mountain music (as opposed to just saying really deep things about it). With Erynn Marshall, it seems that it is, indeed, possible. While there are vocals and accompaniment on Calico, the main star of the proceedings is Marshall's fiddle. This is most obvious on a slow, solo piece like "New Coat of Paint," but it also shows up the bouncy, bluesy "Caroll County Blues." The music within can broadly be described as traditional, and comes closest — genre-wise — to old-time. But the production values on Calico are a bit cleaner than the average old-time product, which means the fiddle sparkles on cuts like "Runaway/Texas." Marshall is joined by guitarist Chris Coole, banjoist Arnie Naiman, mandolinist Andrew Collins, and a number of others. While the overall credit list is long, most of the songs/pieces have fairly basic arrangements. Even at its wildest, the instrumental mesh is always vivid. There's also a nice stereo mix, giving the impression that one is facing the band in a small venue with a great sound system. The occasional vocals lack the sparkle of the instrumental work, but they're non-pretentious and add variety to the program. All this is to say that Calico should impress old-time fans as well as Marshall's old professors. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi