This is a very promising debut from a fine young singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
Sally Jones is originally from Alberta, Canada, a fact that gives her take on traditional bluegrass a somewhat unique slant. Where most bluegrass artists sing about the mountains, she sings about the prairie; where others cover
Bill Monroe and
Jimmy Martin,
Jones covers
Tom T. Hall and counts
Joni Mitchell as an influence. And she's got moxie -- it takes guts to put a cover of "Love Hurts" at the top of a program that's aimed at a bluegrass audience. She pulls it off beautifully, and then proceeds to explore her adopted musical tradition from several different directions at once: there's a gorgeous arrangement of the old
John Jacob Niles faux-English ballad "Go From My Window," a heartbreaking tale of loss along the westward trail ("Saro"), and one gospel tune ("He Came Down to Me"). Excellent. ~ Rick Anderson