Yonder Mountain String Band - Mountain Tracks Vol 3
Review by Joe Ross, Roseburg, Oregon - email rossjoe@hotmail.com

A large contingent of Yonder Mountain String Band fans were out in full force at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, Colorado in September 2003 for the live recording of this 23-track album at Kinfolk Celebration 2003. The band's distinctive jamgrass sound is supplemented with the expert fiddling of Darol Anger. Four tracks at the end of the 2-CD album also include Rashad Eggleston and Brittany Haas. Regular band members Jeff Austin (mandolin),  Dave Johnston (banjo), Adam Aijala (guitar), and Ben Kaufmann (bass) all contribute original material to the band's spirited repertoire. Besides material from Willie Nelson,  John Hartford, and Bill Monroe, the band also covers four songs penned by songwriter Benny “Burl” Galloway. The lyrical messages of their original material are interesting. Their material is well-rehearsed and arranged. Not sticking to  straight three-chord traditional progressions, YMSB punctuates and accentuates their music with a lot of excitement. The fun they have energizes their audiences.

While quite a few of their songs fit the standard 3-4 minute timeframe ideal for radio airplay, it's interesting to note that they also serve up eight songs that span anywhere from 6 to 10.5 minutes. Spread throughout their sets, these improvisational adventures take us on journeys that ebb and flow like an ocean's tide.  In fact, four songs on disc 1 (their first set) progress effortlessly as a medley that spans over 26 minutes.  The crowd is left in a wild frenzy. The encore is John Hartford's “Holding,” introduced with the advice, “if you're holding, then don't hold out” and accentuated with Anger's pizzicato fiddle. Liner notes are remiss in not identifying who is singing on each song.

Since day one, YMSB has held that their fans, the Kinfolk, are the cornerstone to their success. “Mountain Tracks: Volume 3” is a testament to their ability to incite a crowd to almost riotous support of acoustic jamgrass music. (Joe Ross)