Playing Time – 47:29 -- Blue Light Special is an Oregon-based trio that incorporates elements of bluegrass, country, swing and Celtic into their acoustic guitar, mandolin and bass sound. Clearly, this band with Theron Yochelson (mandolin), Betsy Yochelson (bass), and James “Fester” Read (guitar) likes to have fun and entertain. They also like to present music that encourages their audiences to have fun too. Each band member shares the lead vocalist duties. Originally from Seattle, Fester now resides in Mt. Angel, OR. and lays claim to having placed in the Top Ten in the national flatpicking championships in Winfield, Ks. on four different occasions. Theron has been playing and singing since 1985, and he released an instrumental album of his originals (“The Mists of Scotland”) in 1994 that provided the soundtrack for a PBS series about Oregon’s covered bridges and lighthouses. Music has been a part of Betsy’s life since her teen years, and she added upright bass to her instrument arsenal several years ago. Songs from Merle Travis, Louis Jordan, Carl Jackson, Claire Lynch, Holly Dunn and Leon McAuliffe are chosen. When covering a song, the trio tells me that they first learn a song as it was written. Then, they experiment, innovate and improvise to develop their own arrangement. The covers are interspersed with four originals penned by Fester Read. The nostalgic title cut “Back Home in the Country” sings about the fishing hole, moonshine still, and a love left behind. “Why Did You Have to Leave?” has a strong classic country feeling, and I could also imagine a little pedal steel or fiddle embellishing the arrangement. Had it been written decades ago, “Texas Bound” could’ve become a western swing hit for Bob Wills. When someone gets a bad case of the blues, they might be singing “These Blues Are Killin’ Me.” A few of Blue Light Special’s songs have snippets of vocal harmony, and some could’ve used a tad more. “Back Home in the Country” is a self-produced project that presents an accurate introduction to the music of Blue Light Special, another fine band that Oregon should be proud to have within its regional fold of musicians. The three performers seem well matched in talent, and they share common interests for a more eclectic acoustic sound built around proficient lead guitar and mandolin breaks. Blue Light Special would add some nice variety at a bluegrass festival or swing dance. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)