Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum - Guest House
Review by Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon - email rossjoe@hotmail.com

The title of the third duet album from Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum was inspired by the 13th C. Persian poet, mystic and religious scholar Jalal al-Din Rumi. Like bluegrass music, the “Guest House” of humanity is wrought with various emotions from joy to sorrow, depression to delight. Laurie and Tom also have an affinity for old-time and folk music in their songs full of love, advice and caution.

Besides her own the originals, the duo covers a couple by Hazel Dickens (”My Heart's Own Love” and ”Scars From an Old Love”) and others by Claudia Schmidt, Si Kahn, Slim Willet, Liz Meyer, Jim Ringer, and Kate McLeod. The rollicking opener, “Willie Poor Boy,” is a sorrowful tale about an angry man with a gun whose rage lands him in prison. In a style reminiscent of The Louvins, “Since You Went Away” is an original country duet with understated arrangement but a catchy hook. “You can't harvest any good when you sow bad seed” is the cautionary missive found in “Bad Seed.” An appealing Celtic melody is the foundation of Jim Ringer's “Tramps and Hawkers.”

There are other pleasant surprises – Rozum's additional lyrics to “Old Dan Tucker”; a resurrection of the 1950s hit “Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes”; the splendid four-part a cappella harmonies on Claudia Schmidt's “Quiet Hills”; the nearly 8-minute traditional fiddle tune medley that closes the album. Laurie wrote “O My Malissa” after reading about courtship of Bill Monroe's parents. It makes a seque into “How Old Are You?,” a fiddle tune learned from a recording of Bill, Charlie and Birch Monroe in 1969. This medley and “My Heart's Own Love” feature the frailing banjo of Tom Sauber.

Craig Smith's bluegrass banjo embellishes six cuts. The other accompanists include Todd Sickafoose (bass), Scott Huffman (guitar, 4 cuts), Nina Gerber (lead guitar, 2 cuts), Mike Marshall (mandocello on one cut, guitar on one cut). Laurie plays fiddle and guitar; Tom plays mandolin, mandola, and guitar. From Berkeley, Laurie got hooked on bluegrass in the 1960s and has played with many groups (Phantoms of the Opry, Good Ol' Persons, Free Mexican Air Force, Vern Williams Band, Arkansas Shieks, Blue Rose, and Grant Street) before starting her own band in 1998.

A two-time California State Women's Fiddle Champion and two-time IBMA “Female Vocalist of the Year” (1992 and 1994), Laurie has also appeared at the Grand Ole Opry. Tom Rozum has worked with Lewis since 1986. He recently released his first solo album, “Jubilee,” and “Guest House” is actually their eighth overall album together. Lewis and Rozum recorded their first duet album in 1995. “The Oak and the Laurel” was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 for Best Traditional Folk Album. “Winter's Grace” was put out in 1999.

The indefatigable Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum have a reputation for exciting musicianship. Their sound keeps hot fiddle, mandolin and duet singing in the forefront. They're a little bit classic country, a tad bit folk, a skosh old-timey, and slightly bluegrass. This album is proof that they can expertly do it all. Their versatility gives this album a high degree of intrigue and charm. (Joe Ross)