Roland White – A Tribute to the Kentucky Colonels
Roland White – A Tribute to the Kentucky Colonels (Mountain Home Records MH17242, 2018)
Mandolin virtuoso and vocalist Roland White recorded A Tribute to the Kentucky Colonels with various generations of bluegrass musicians. Roland, who was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame, was one of the original founders of the Kentucky Colonels, a bluegrass band from southern California that became popular during the 1960s.
The Kentucky Colonels introduced the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass. The Kentucky Colonels released two influential albums in the 60s: The New Sound of Bluegrass America (1963) and Appalachian Swing! (1964).
The material featured on A Tribute to the Kentucky Colonels are superb new recordings made in North Carolina and Tennessee of classic songs and swinging instrumentals that the Kentucky Colonels popularized in the 1960s. Although the mandolin takes the leading role, there is plenty of dazzling interplay between the mandolin, guitar, banjo and fiddle.
The lineup includes Roland White on mandolin and vocals and some of the finest musicians in the North Carolina and Tennessee bluegrass scenes: ; Gina Furtado on banjo; Jeremy Darrow on double bass; Jeremy Garrett on fiddle; Drew Matulich on guitar; Darin & Brooke Aldridge on harmony vocals; Russ Carson on banjo; Jon Weisberger on double bass and harmony vocals; Brittany Haas on fiddle; Billy Strings on guitar; Justin Hiltner on banjo; Patrick McAvinue on fiddle; Molly Tuttle on guitar; Darren Nicholson on vocals; Kristin Scott Benson on banjo; Jon Stickley on guitar; Josh Haddix on guitar; Aaron Bibelhauser on banjo; Kimber Ludiker on fiddle; David Grier on guitar; Nick Dauphinais on harmony vocals; and Lindsay Pruett on fiddle.
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.