Armik Isla Del Sol CD

\" Certainly, the elements of classic bluegrass are here: rolling banjo, chopping mandolin, delicate vocal harmonies, and hot licks abundant. But to call this music bluegrass is just too easy, and it does a disservice to the men who created it. No, this music is something else, more than bluegrass. Bluegrass, in the minds of most, is the classic sound of Bill Monroe. Not to deride that master, but times have changed. Eras have swept away and the genre has evolved. John Hartford pioneered the modern Americana movement, and the Gipson and Fitz Trio are proudly carrying on the tradition. \"Rail Car\" is intertwined with tunes crafted by the group\'s principle song writers, Brant Gipson and Mark Fitzharris. The original tunes sparkle with traditional flair, but there is a wink and a nod to modern times and many musical genres. A close listen to the vocal harmonies reveals a love of early 70\'s rock. The guitar and mandolin lines often pay tribute to jazz and blues legends. And on the album\'s swan song, \"Gotta Go,\" there is a verse cleverly dedicated to a wide variety of music genres. Then, there are the cover songs. Cover songs on record are often an unappealing mess. Gipson, Fitzharris and upright bass man extraordinaire, Billy Cory, have spent years working through countless versions of other people\'s songs in their live show. This dedication to originality has yielded two of the best cover versions in a long time. Their take on \"Columbus Stockade Blues\" adds an urgency and yearning to the mix, and their version of \"Summertime,\" one of the most covered songs of all time, has rarely been done better than it is in this jaw dropping slow/fast version. The Gipson and Fitz Trio has been called \"the hottest acoustic trio in Central Ohio.

\" I\'m not sure if this is an attempt at humor, but it shouldn\'t be. This group is one of the best acoustic acts anywhere, and \"Rail Cars\" should cement them as an act to follow. Somewhere, John Hartford is smiling.