The Saddle River Stringband, who feature Troy MacArthur on banjo,
James Phillips on mandolin, Tom DesRoches on bass fiddle, and
Mike Dixon on guitar, play an intriguing mixture of old-time, country and blues that falls just shy of being bluegrass, and at times on this 12-song set, the group's sound veers almost into jug band territory, with a tiny dose of western swing thrown in for good measure. It's all pretty easygoing and casual, spotlighting original pieces along with a handful of old country blues standards given a string band sheen, including fine versions of
the Carter Family's "We Shall Rise" and
Mississippi John Hurt's "Louis Collins." ~ Steve Leggett