Sierra Hull is one of the up and comers in the bluegrass youth movement. She's actually been around for quite some time, as a genuine child prodigy she played at a very tender age with the likes of Alison Krauss and Sam Bush. During that same period she released an independent album titled "Angel Mountain". It was a purely instrumental record featuring her prodigious mandolin chops. She's currently threatening to become the first female mandolin player to win the IBMA's award as top mando player. She'll also be the youngest winner if her nomination yields a win. Not yet 20, Sierra recently released the album "Daybreak", her second on Rounder Records. I love this album. It showcases the maturity you would expect from someone much older and is an example of how her vocals have caught up with her instrumental skills, even more so than her first Rounder release, "Secrets". Sierra cut "Daybreak" and continues to tour on a limited basis while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston. She is the first bluegrass musician to be awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship by Berklee. I've been amazed at what great acoustic roots music is coming from the Boston area. Boston isn't the first place you think of when talking about bluegrass, but when folks like Sarah Jarosz and Crooked Still are making a huge splash in that arena, you have to take notice. Now you can add Sierra Hull to the mix. Sierra is also coming into her own as a songwriter, with the majority of the tracks on "Daybreak" being Sierra's own. As I said, I really love this album. There isn't a clinker on the whole record. The track "Best Buy" is her first attempt at swing and is delightful. Alison Krauss was once the traditional bluegrass darling until her music got too experimental for hard core purists. Sierra has filled that vacancy. She hasn't strayed far from traditional bluegrass thus far and should be able to keep the purists happy for as long as she cares to. I can't say enough good about Sierra and this latest record. If you loved early Alison Krauss, you'll love Sierra!
Here's a pretty cool bluegrass version of an Adele tune by Sierra:
As I've said other times and other places, I miss more live music events than I can ever possibly attend. Knowing that it's impossible to catch everything, you'd think I'd have few regrets about missing concerts, but there have been a few in the last few years that I let get away from me that I wish I hadn't. I'll mention 3 that I'm still feeling pangs of regret over. Patty Griffin came to Kingsbury Hall last year with Buddy Miller. I had a derriere numbing experience at a previous concert at Kingsbury Hall so wasn't too keen on going back to that venue, but in reflection I wish I'd bitten the bullet and gone, perhaps with the addition of a cushion! That combination playing together is pretty rare and she is one of the premier singer/songwriters of our time. Buddy Miller suffered a heart attack shortly thereafter, so we came close to losing him! Shoulda been there! I've already mentioned James Taylor and Carole King at Energy Solutions Arena. Who knew they'd tame the horrible echo of that building! Shoulda been there also, but the one I regret most of all was a small little gig hardly anyone in the state took notice of. It was the Lovell Sisters playing at the Nature Center in Ogden the summer of '09, the only time they ever played in the state and I was just plain too lazy to make that drive. What an idiot I was! Major regret! This brings us to the main subject of this post. At the time of the Ogden gig I'd barely learned of the Lovells and it hadn't fully sunk in what a rare, wonderful chemistry they had going for them. By the end of the year I'd purchased both their cds and had become fully convinced of their amazingness. Hard to beat the combination of world class playing along with sibling harmony. As that year ended I became aware of their pending break-up which actually occurred Jan '10 when older sister Jessica decided to drop out for marriage and college. The 2 younger sisters, Rebecca and Megan, have continued as a band they call Larkin Poe. The sisters started out as classical musicians all playing both violin and piano. When the family heard Jerry Douglas' "Slide Rule" album and subsequently attended their first bluegrass festival it was all over! Jessica stayed on violin, calling it fiddle and playing as such, while Rebecca took up mandolin and Megan took to dobro. Less than a year after they went bluegrass they won Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home National Teen Talent Competition, proof that this was no ordinary family band. They were and are true prodigies. Shortly thereafter their first album, "When Forever Rolls Around" was released. It has an innocence and precociousness about it that is absolutely charming.This was in '05. In '06 Rebecca won the Merlefest mandolin contest the only teen and the only female to have ever won top spot for any instrument in that contest! Her playing is amazing. She has speed and accuracy you rarely hear. Very much like Chris Thile of "Nickel Creek". Their second album, "Time to Grow", came out in 09' showing them off at the peak of their prowess as musicians and songwriters. Interestingly most of the songs on the first album were written by then banjo player in the band, Josh Miller. Rebecca has since become the main songwriter and has really come into her own in "Larkin Poe". They've always considered their music progressive acoustic rather than pure bluegrass. For me the second album perfectly combines bluegrass elements with more contemporary leanings. It manages to walk the fine line between traditional and current sounds. I totally love it. My favorite Lovell song of all is on that album, "Take One Moment". Mmmm, mmmm! Sweet sounds! I highly recommend both albums and suspect they won't be around for too many more years, especially the first one. You're probably wondering what I think of "Larkin Poe". They have 4 EP's they've released in quick order titled for the 4 seasons, "Spring", "Summer", "Fall" and "Winter". Of the 4, I like "Spring" and "Fall" best however there are tracks on all that I like and tracks on all that I don't like. For me, they may have crossed the line I mentioned earlier at least in some cases, going a little farther afield in the direction of "progress" than I prefer. I also find some of Rebecca's current writing less accessible than her earlier efforts. I'm a simple minded guy and don't mind admitting it. If sounds and prose get too complicated, it turns me off. That being said, don't tune these girls out. In fact if you're younger than me (who isn't!) you might just like them a whole lot better than I do! Their musicianship is impeccable. I'm very interested in what the future holds for them and will be following them keenly. Youtube is loaded with examples from both iterations of the group. There are many songs on video they've never committed to cd including the Jimi Hendrix piece from Bonnaroo I've included here. Check 'em out!
