Bearfoot Bluegrrass - Back Home (CD, 2004)

by Nigel Tuffman, 08/05/2004

The cover of this CD is the first indication that this might be something a little different - polar bears lounging around on the ice. It’s not your typical bluegrass music CD cover, and I think that’s intentional. From the opening unison fiddle/mandolin lines of “Dirty Kitchen” to the bluesy fiddle ending of the driving “Her Memory’s Bound to Ride” at the end of the CD, these young musicians seem determined to make their own mark on bluegrass. And there they succeed.

I was impressed with the original and more obscure cuts on the CD. The band’s mentor Frank Solivan II contributed the cool opening fiddle tune “Dirty Kitchen” and there is stellar, fluid playing throughout the cut. I’m sure Frank is proud of the job Bearfoot did on his tune.

Probably my favorite cut is a rockin’ version of “Won’t Be Long” featuring the sultry, soaring lead vocals of Annalisa Woodlee. She really does a convincing job delivering this tune, and Jason Norris adds a Monroe-esque mandolin solo in the middle that really made me smile.

Annalisa’s vocals shine again on her own lovely waltz, “That Old Kind of Love.” The band glides through some beautiful chord changes, and Angela Oudean and Kate Hamre add perfect harmonies. This tune is really a standout performance for the whole band – just really entrancing music.

There is great fiddle playing throughout from both Angela Oudean and from Annalisa Woodlee. Jason Norris plays some inspired mandolin with a very nice touch, reminding me at times of Bill Monroe and at other times of Chris Thile. Mike Mickelson adds very tight rhythm and very smooth solos on his old D18. Kate Hamre probably had the most daunting task of any musician for this recording, having to play bass with Todd Phillips at the board. But she can be proud – she plays in time, in tune, and with great tone throughout. When you hit all three T’s, you’re doing your job well.

You can almost feel producer Todd Phillips guiding hand throughout the project, prodding and coaxing the band to perform to their full potential. Still, some of the vocals seem a little tentative. And I personally feel that the band would have made a better CD if they had replaced 3 or 4 well-known songs with more of their good original or obscure tunes. It’s hard to find any real complaints on the instrumental side however, and the production and packaging is top notch throughout. There really is a lot to like here, and I’d say we can expect bigger and better things from Bearfoot. They’re making their own path, and I think many young bands could take a lesson from them on that.

Songlist:
1. Dirty Kitchen
2. Good Morning Country Rain
3. Back Home
4. Won't Be Long
5. Love Chooses You
6. I Know What It Means To Be Lonesone
7. Pretty Lady
8. That Old Kind Of Love
9. Fishtrap Joe
10. Homeless Waltz
11. Sweetest Gift
12. Her Memory's Bound To Ride

Click here to visit Bearfoot Bluegrrass website