Album Notes

Virginia trio Furnace Mountain has released yet another A+ album. If you haven't yet heard this Appalachian string band, consider this your cue -- give one listen to this or any of their prior discs and hear music that sings to the soul. Drawing inspiration from Celtic, folk, and old-timey roots, the group is sure to enamor all who encounter them, and the unmatched vocal pairing of bassist Aimee Curl and bouzouki player Morgan Morrison is nothing short of spine-tingling. Trading leads and weaving harmonies, the two women captivate the ear in ways that are enchanting, mesmerizing, and downright divine. "Fiddlin' Dave" VanDeventer, as he is known, infuses the band with lively spirit, expertly guiding such purely instrumental tunes as "Duck River" and "Chinquapin Hunting." The trio is often enhanced by the addition of a bodhran (a drum of Irish origin) and the occasional inclusion of mandolin and washtub. Nearly all of the songs are traditional, but each one, from the very obscure to the somewhat familiar, has been reworked and re-envisioned as something fresh and original. If you like live music, check out Furnace Mountain each September in Berryville, Virginia, when they host the legendary Watermelon Park Festival. For more information about the band, this album, and Watermelon Park, visit www.furnacemountain.com....Shannon Holliday---