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Old School Freight Train : Old School Freight Train
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45th Grammy Entry for "Best Bluegrass Album." 2003 Independent Music Awards finalist. Original acoustic music -- jazz, bluegrass, newgrass, Latin, and Classical played with Bluegrass instrumentation.
Genre: Country: Bluegrass
Release Date: 2002
Old School Freight Train Record Label: Courthouse Records
  • Download Album (MP3) - $9.99
  • Buy CD - $14.98
Preview Song Name Time Format Price Select
Horizon Line 2:47 $0.99
Waterveil 3:55 $0.99
Long Journey Back 2:32 $0.99
Beginner's Mind 5:55 $0.99
Armageddon 4:12 $0.99
Beaver Creek Showdown 2:52 $0.99
A Few More Rails 2:58 $0.99
Yeah Buddy 3:26 $0.99
Rock Valley Prison 2:31 $0.99
Tango Chutney 6:39 $0.99
Dog And Pony Show 4:22 $0.99
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Album Notes

"Pointing to such acts as Old School Freight Train, Melanie Cannon and Alecia Nugent, he [Ricky Skaggs]says, "There's all kinds of bluegrass out there now, with new faces and images that I think it needs."

"You can think of the band [OSFT] as central Virginia's answer to Nickel Creek..." - Richmond Times Dispatch

"Every member is capable of lightening-fast, blazing leads, and they pass them around in a call and response not easy to keep up with." - Richmond Music Journal

"Old School Freight Train plays original tunes with a style that combines many styles, the end result being a sound all their own. They might call themselves Old School, but it sounds brand new to me." - Victory Music Review


Old School Freight Train (OSFT) has been creating new sounds in acoustic music since September 2000. Conceived as an outlet for the diverse musical interests of its members, OSFT explores bluegrass, jazz, classical, Latin, and funk.
After several months working up original material, OSFT hit the local music scene around the start of 2001. By the end of the year they began recording their debut album at Doobie Shea Studios. This self-titled album, released in February 2002, features 11 original compositions.
OSFT is beginning to make ripples in the national acoustic music scene. Since early 2002 the band has performed alongside top national acts such as Bruce Hornsby, Del McCoury Band, Earl Scruggs, The Lonesome River Band, the Lynn Morris Band, Ronnie Bowman, Wyatt Rice, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Leftover Salmon, Larry Keel Experience, and the Disco Biscuits.
In addition, OSFT has placed 2nd at two prestigious band contests, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Rocky Mountain Bluegrass Festival (Rockygrass). Banjo player Ben Krakauer followed up a second place finish at the Merlefest banjo contest with a first place victory at the Rockygrass banjo competition. OSFT fiddler Ann Marie Calhoun placed 1st at the Rockygrass fiddle contest, and mandolinist Pete Frostic placed 2nd in the Rockygrass mandolin contest.
Old School Freight Train is the new band to watch, as they continue to gain exposure and win new audiences with their original sound and diverse repertoire. On the horizon is a second recording project of original material followed by a full-time, national touring schedule in the summer of 2003.

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REVIEWS

listen to your hart
author: JED PAULSON
Hi Cus,you are grate wow i need the alben with listen to your hart and the one with ragtime anney E me your adress and how mutch anf i will send the $ emeditaly, Kristene hoked me up with your site and i glad, all's just grate here, hope you are doing grate also-1865 7th. ave. E. prince rupert b.c. v8j2k6 take care Aa Jed
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amazing, shockingly talented musicianship and teamwork
author: stefan kling
i first got this cd at the richmond bluegrass festival, and it absolutely blew me away. The songs blend bluegrass, jazz, and latin beats beautifully.
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"Whether traditional or improvisational, the music on Old School Freight Train
author: Bluegrass Now Magazine
" Four musicians, with influences ranging among blues, classical, folk, and jazz moved to Richmond, Virginia and formed a bluegrass band. Young, eager, and hungry, they wood-shedded for six months, honing their sound until they deem it worthy for public performance. Six months later, they take runner-up honors at the Telluride band competition. Then they add a classically trained violinist. It may not be the typical genesis of a bluegrass and acoustic string band, but one thing’s for certain: Old School Freight Train has left the station with a brilliant self-titled debut CD. Pete Frostic (mandolin), Jesse Harper (guitar, light percussion, vocals), Ben Krakauer (banjo), Darrell Muller (upright bass, vocals) and Ann Marie Simpson (fiddle, vocals) offer 11 gorgeous originals, consisting mostly of straight ahead bluegrass flavored with a few eclectic pieces. Bluegrass standouts “Horizon Line” and “Long Journey Back” feature tight musicianship, powerful vocals, and lush harmonies. Instrumentals “Beginner’s Mind” and “Tango Chutney” afford the quintet opportunities to stretch and explore jazz, Latin, and Dawg music. Whether traditional or improvisational, the music on Old School Freight Train is a stunning set, rich in beauty, depth and texture. There’s no doubt about it. Old School Freight Train is on the right track!" (TAW)
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author: Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine
Bluegrass is changing, no doubt about it, and Old School Freight Train is one of the hottest examples of this "new" approach to come across my desk in ages. Part Eagles-style harmonies, part Nickel Creek instrumental prowess, a fair amount of jazz syncopation, and a healthy dose of bluegrass glue holding it together, OSFT's self-titled debut album (recorded at Doobie Shea Studios) grabbed my attention on the opening cut and held it throughout. All 11 tunes are band originals, displaying an excitingly broad range of styles. Tracks include hard-driving bluegrass instrumentals and equally bluegrassy vocals. There are some late-night Latin jazz sounds("Beginner's Mind" and "Tango Chutney"-extra points for the snappy title), and there's the dynamic and progressive "Waterveil" with its bright mandolin melody and matching guitar lines. "Horizon Line", a bluegrass/acoustic rock hybrid, opens the album with strong, full-bodied vocal harmonies, while a swingy, jazzy tune, "Dog and Pony Show," brings the disc to a close. OSFT band members are not only skilled with their instruments but obviously comfortable with them as well, and they're not afraid to use them. Jesse Harper's guitar playing, both steel- and nylon-string, is strong and clear whether the tune is bluegrass or jazz. Darrell Muller's bass is often given the spotlight, most often on the jazz tunes, and even when it's not, the mixing allows it to be heard in a solidifying way. Ben Krakauer's banjo can be hard-driving or subtle, depending on the tune, while Pete Frostic's mandolin chops and Ann Marie Simpson's fiddle play beautifully off each other throughout the album. OSFT should be a huge hit with younger audiences and those with more eclectic tastes. A great blending of traditional and modern styles. JK (Julie Koehler)
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