MOON MOUNTAIN RAMBLERS: Moon Mountain Ramblers

Moon Mountain Ramblers

Moon Mountain Ramblers

© 2004 Moon Mountain Ramblers (825346704821)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

SPECIAL: 10% discount if you buy more than one copy of it today!

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Acoustic free-form string band featuring elements of Dawg Music, Bluegrass, Americana and Jazz.

notes

Ramblin' in from all parts of the territory, Moon Mountain has drawn four musicians together to create an original high desert sound and a soulful interpretation of traditional bluegrass, jazz/swing and country tunes. The Ramblers consist of Dan McClung slappin' the double bass and blowin' the harmonica, Jenny Harada sawin' the fiddle, Joe Schulte choppin' the mandolin and Matt Hyman pickin' the guitar. Recently voted the "Best Band in Central Oregon for 2004" by the Source publication, the Moon Mountain Ramblers have performed in festivals all over the High Desert region, opening for well known bands such as the David Grisman Quintet, Misty River, Jackstraw, and the McClosky Brother's Band.

Their self-titled CD reflects the kaleidoscope of styles that separates the Ramblers from your standard bluegrass band. Within 13 original songs, you get a taste of bluegrass, swing, jazz, klezmer, country, blues, and reggae. The CD was recorded in three sessions in July/August 2004 at Music Makers. Recorded and mastered by Andy Armer on location and at Rotation Studio in Bend, OR, the CD captures the "live music" ambiance that fans know and love.

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • An ethereal kind of ambiance
    author: Joe Ross (Roseburg, OR.)

    Playing Time – 55:19 -- I remember when I first heard a live performance of MMRs at the 2005 Siskiyou Bluegrass Festival at Lake Selmac, Oregon. As the sun set over the lake behind them, they kept their raw, rootsy acoustic music perfectly in tune with the audience’s increasing interest and intensity as day’s dimming hue approached. Their evocative mood pieces were ideal for closing the show. Their self-titled 2004 album was recorded in three sessions, and liner notes recognize and thank some of their musical role models – Manjunath, David Grisman, Vivaldi, and Bob Dylan. With influences as disparate as these, you’ll start to fathom their “original high desert sound” that incorporates elements of various genres from Celtic to reggae, bluegrass to Klezmer. On this auspicious debut album, the band consists of Dan McClung (bass, harmonica, percussion, vocal), Julie Southwell (violin, vocal), Joe Schulte (mandolin, vocal), and Matt “Mai” Hyman (guitar, percussion, vocal). Southwell’s own lively and melodic fiddle tunes (Circus of the Ants, Tumalo Creek) demonstrate some fine bow work. Southwell has since left the group, but her replacement (Jenny Harada) also proficiently plays with the same improvisational style and verve. All 13 cuts are original compositions. Most have catchy little melodies that are carefully cultivated before the band embarks on free-form improvisation. I especially enjoyed those penned by Joe Schulte although I occasionally hear some pick noise on his fingerboard during his breaks. Of the five vocals on this project, four were written by Matt Hyman. “Sail Away” is a very expressive piece. He uses an analogy of the sea being torn to create a tell tale sign of the tempest inside one’s soul. In “Ramblin’ Blues,” he gets even more contemplative with his lyrics. “Black crow croonin’ but he’s speakin’ in tongue, He’s got loins on fire, doubtful dogmas to go.” Schulte’s 6-minute vocal number, “Jamaican Ice Town,” establishes a rhythmic groove for some extended improvisations, some with eerie effects on the fiddle. The Moon Mountain Ramblers create an ethereal kind of ambiance. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

email

Please log in to email this artist.