The Old Railroad

     From the northeastern United States comes North Star Bluegrass, a band from Maine that a) follows proudly in the footsteps of the first generation founders, and b) loves train songs.

     This band has plenty of drive and energy, yet these rapidly cascading notes never sound rushed as they tumble over one another in a smooth waterfall of sound. Arrangements are clean and open, vocals are clearly understandable (what a refreshing change that is), breaks are crisp, timing is strong, and the original material (nearly half the 17 tracks) fits comfortably among the Monroe, Stanley, and Reno selections-- what more could you want from a hard-driving, traditional, New England bluegrass band with a fresh approach to an old art form?

     Truth to tell, this isn't exclusively an album of train songs (only two actually have "train" or "railroad" in their titles). It is, however, a collection of quality band originals and standard bluegrass favorites, most of which are fast-paced, with an occasional brreather during slower tunes like "Local Flowers" and "Rain." But the heat soon cranks back up, and it's the instrumentals that often stoke the fire. "Running Scared" is a mandolin banjo, lick-trading duet that sounds like it must be a blast to play. Ditto for "Beaver Creek," and equally bouncy tune featuring once again Bobby St. Pierre's sprightly mondolin and Bill Smith's dancing banjo.

     As for the train songs (always a part of North Star's repertoire), the title cut, "The Old Railroad," is a nostalgic look back at the days when trains either brought hope or took it away. Smith's sweet, melodic banjo kicks off the song, while the lyrics relate the poignant tale of a miner whose life is spent digging for the coal that once kept the trains running.

     A highly enjoyable album with plenty to offer. (Lori Smith, 914 Main St., Bradley, ME 04411, email: <nothstah@aol.com>

Julie Koehler
Bluegrass Unlimited (www.bluegrassmusic.com)

The Old Railroad

     The day is brighter...In the deep of winter, it is amazing what listening
to great bluegrass music can do for the spirit.   I have just enjoyed this CD.
The Music took me back to warm summer "festival" days and made me feel good!   It put a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  

     My personal favorites are all fine examples of original music penned by members of the band.   I especially enjoyed the hard driving instrumental selection "Running Scared" featuring Bobby St. Pierre and "Let a Little Heaven in Your Soul" featuring the group's clean, impressive harmonies.   "When the Lupines Line the Lane" written by Ted DeMille and Rick Lang holds a special place in my heart.   My dad's favorite summertime flower is the Lupine and the lyrics made me feel at home.
           

     North Star has shown their commitment and passion for the music through
this recording.   Words alone cannot do justice to the zest of this work.
North Star showcases all of their   best qualities as a top notch Bluegrass Band.
Through their mix of original songs and more traditional favorites, they
reflect their personalities and the power of their talents as musicians and
songwriters.   They have combined the ingredients to make a musical recipe
sure to please any Bluegrass music appetite.
           

     It gives me great pride so see local musicians from my home state of
Maine "step up and shine" with the best of them!   This recording endeavor is a
major contribution that will make the whole industry proud.
           

     The day is a lot brighter...Enjoy!

Pati Crooker
Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival
January 15, 2002

The Old Railroad

     I sure am delighted by the refined, mature sound of North Star Bluegrass on this, their second CD.   These fine folks are dedicated, life-long, serious bluegrass musicians from the Bluegrass State of Maine.   As a Maine native, a hard-core traditional bluegrasser, and an old friend, I'm very proud of their achievement.

      This beautifully recorded collection has bragging rights galore.   There's TOP quality picking on banjo, mandolin, lead guitar and Dobro, all with the three T's - tone, taste and timing.   Bill and Bobby's thoughtful picking always makes me listen close.   Lori's bass gets that low-frequency 'round sound' so critical to good bluegrass.   The band's rhythm section is solid and powerful, yet blessedly restrained.   Ted and Don have achieved something remarkable in their fine duet singing- particularly their phrasing, which recalls the Delmore Brothers.   Good singing is supposed to be a given in bluegrass, but great phrasing is rare.  

      There are several original numbers displaying gifted writing and arranging.   The bluegrass classics sound fresh, thanks to unique picking styles and Ted's distinctive bluesy vocals.   Bobby has contributed two fine original instrumentals featuring both intricacy and 'ancient tones'.   There are two great gospel numbers; one featuring Bill's stunning Scruggs-style guitar, and the other a wonderful a cappella trio with mountain-style baritone/bass part, which I wish had gone on for 18 more verses!  

      You even have to admire the nerve of Barbara's Kitchen Theme, which successfully captures the old Martha White spirit (yes ma'am!).

      North Star Bluegrass always could play and sing, but recently they've stepped out of the crowd of pickin' buddies -- they've achieved contender status as a BAND that can write, arrange and produce.  

      As Everett Lily used to say, "You neighbors, get a load of this in your ears!"

Dick Bowden

     We’ve got ourselves two very different bluegrass scenes here in Maine. On the one hand are the club bands — Jerks of Grass, Muddy Marsh Ramblers, Hacksaws — who play our smoky watering holes late into the evenings. On the other hand, we’ve got bands who stick solely to the festival circuit — Back to Basics, Blistered Fingers, Bob and Grace French — who are more comfortable in the open air, in front of rows of lawn chairs. Though, even at the festivals, picking goes on late into the night.

     On the whole, the club bands tend to cater their tunes to the club audience: fast-paced, loud, high-energy numbers to bull over the chattering masses. Similarly, the festival folks aim right at their seated crowd with a number of gospel numbers and other slow, sweet, delicate pieces. Occasionally, the two sides of the bluegrass aisle will mingle, but it was just this year that the Jerks were able to crack a decent time slot at Thomas Point Beach, so that shows you how tough it is to cross over.

     Local bluegrassers North Star have always fallen solidly into the festival crowd — I’ve never seen them play a club gig — and I’m afraid there’s a tendency to lump them in with some other boring crowd pleasers. That would be a mistake. With their album The Old Railroad, which is among the best bluegrass albums ever released in the state of Maine, they show themselves to be incredibly well rounded, talented, and excited about making new bluegrass music.

     You might even find that title familiar; it’s taken from the Scott Conley tune the Muddy Marsh Ramblers contributed to the second Area Code 207 disc, which North Star have included here as their title track. Their take on it isn’t phenomenally different. It’s slightly sped up, and not quite as plaintive, though lead vocalist Ted DeMille still ably conveys the sorrow behind laying daddy down, saying a prayer for his soul, and burying him under a tombstone of number nine coal.

     What’s great is their commitment to local songwriting. Bluegrass classically suffers from too much looking back, with every band playing tons of standards by Monroe, Stanley, and, well, Monroe. On this album, however, North Star not only play Conley’s tune, but they also include three tracks by Ted DeMille writing with Rick Lang, three others that DeMille has a hand in, and even two instrumentals by mandolin player Bobby St. Pierre.

     This lends a vibrancy to the album that is unmistakable, balanced wonderfully against songs like the traditional “Worried Man Blues.” “Only a worried man can sing a worried song,” go the lyrics to that one, but North Star do a fine job on the tune, and it’s difficult to imagine what they could be worried about.

     The vocal harmonies, which are often where a bluegrass band separated themselves from the pack, are here very good. Particularly on the chorus to “The Old Railroad,” where Bill Smith’s baritone props up DeMille’s lead, and on the a capella rendition of Ralph Stanley’s “Old Ship of Zion,” which carries an amazing spiritual power. In fact, there isn’t a bad vocal turn by DeMille, tenor Don Smith, or Bill Smith to be found on this collection.

     St. Pierre’s instrumentals, similarly, are impressive. It’s easy to write a new bluegrass tune: You just set it in the key of A (so the fiddlers won’t cry), and make up some lyrics about somebody drinking whiskey while bouncing to G and D. But crafting an instrumental, that’s a chore. The harmony has to carry the song, and you’ve got to depend on your bandmates to carve out solos that mimic the harmony without feeling repetitious.

     “Beaver Creek,” the first original instrumental, is particularly nice when it charges up the fret board in the B part of the tune. It’s not incredibly fast paced, but has a nice giddy-up, and rings traditional. “Running Scared,” however, sounds more likeÅ~the Jerry Garcia/David Grisman brand of bluegrass, with a little of the sea shanty to it. When Bill Smith’s banjo comes in, especially, the tune really grabs you. It’s contemporary and has a jazzy sentiment to it.

     In fact, I would have liked to hear the guitar’s take on the tune. Unfortunately, neither here, nor anywhere on the disc, does either DeMille or Don Smith break rhythm and bust out a lead. Only on “Texas Blues” does the guitar get a lead, and then it’s Bill Smith doing the honors. Mostly, the guitars fill with G runs, and, though their rhythm is top notch in following bassist Lori Smith’s lead, the lack of a guitar solo from time to time allows the banjo and mandolin sounds to dominate. Not that it’s strange to find that on a bluegrass album — I may just be spoiled by Jason Phelps.

     As for diversity, North Star have no problem showing their chops. “Let a Little Heaven in Your Soul” is a cool Dixie-gospel tune, with a call-and-response verse, and bouncy, contrapuntal riffs. As a polar opposite, “Barbara’s Kitchen Theme,” is super quick, with silly lines like “everything at Barbara’s is delicious (yum, yum),” and some of the album’s best banjo licks. At just a minute long, it’s quite a barn burner.

     Yes, North Star could rip it up with the best of them on the Portland club circuit, but they’re probably just a bit more comfortable out in the open air, free of cigarette poisoning and mindless chatter. If you can wait, check them out at Acton’s “Old Tyme Music Festival,” this coming Memorial Day weekend. Otherwise, go buy this album.

By Sam Pfeifle
The Beat Report
The Portland Phoenix
Sam Pfeifle can be reached at spfeifle@phx.com.