Carolina Road - The Road That Took You There
Review by Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon - email rossjoe@hotmail.com

Based in Raleigh, N.C., Carolina Road includes Lorraine Jordan (mandolin), Jason Barie (fiddle), Rick Pardue (banjo), Tim Massey (bass), and David Guthrie (guitar). All band members provide vocals. They play a large area throughout the eastern seaboard, and their travels throughout the Blue Ridge countryside may have inspired many of their songs.

Carolina Road's neo-traditional signature sound stems from their emphasis on original material penned by Jordan, Pardue and Massey. The title cut comes from the pens of Tom T. and Dixie Hall. A favorite gospel song (“Living on the Hallelujah Side”) is included, and the band also covers Clyde Moody andChubby Wise's “Shenandoah Valley Waltz.” Of their originals, “I Don't Want to Lose You,” “You Thought Wrong,” and “Cold Carolina Snow” are standouts. “Two Chord Charlie” tells a tale of a man with his banjo, shotgun and moonshine. Songs about their longing for home include “Homesick for the Blue Ridge” and “Long Road through Carolina” and “Get Me Home to Mama.” A couple of Jordan's originals, “Family Graveyard” and “Two Timing Lie” seem possibly inspired by Bill Monroe.

The members of this band have a great deal of experience in bluegrass. Rick Purdue's previous stints have been with Roy McMillan and the High Country Boys, Sugarloaf Ramblers, Point Blank, The Long and Pardue Band, Butch Robbins and Bobby Hicks. Lorraine Jordan is the leader of the band and is known for her work as an outstanding bluegrass emcee. Jason Barie is a young fiddle player who is a six-time Florida State Fiddle Champion and previous member of the Sand Mountain Boys. Tim Massey is a well-known songwriter (“Cold Virginia Night” recorded by Ronnie Bowman was IBMA's 1995 song of the year) and former member of Wyatt Rice and Santa Cruz, and Ramblers Choice. David Guthrie was born in Germany, served seven years in the U.S. Army, and sings lead and tenor with the band.

Nominated a few years ago for IBMA's Emerging Artist of the Year award, Carolina Road has now risen to a position of much respect and high praise in their region of the U.S. They were chosen to play the California Bluegrass Association's Grass Valley Festival in 2004 and were a finalist for Entertaining Group of the Year at SPBGMA in 2004. There's plenty on this album to enthuse bluegrass fans from all walks of life, and I expect this project to launch them into the national bluegrass spotlight. Booked by Tom West & Associates (tewest@adelphia.net), look for them at a festival near you. (Joe Ross)