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Tracks - (click
a song title to hear a sample)
• Carolina
In The Pines (Michael Martin Murphy)
• Caleb Meyer (Gillian
Welch)
• You'll
Find A Way (Chris Prickitt)
• Rolling
By With The Time (Steve Chiasson)
• Tennessee
Blues (Bobby Charles)
• Indian
Summer (Ted DeMille & Simon Huntington)
• Common
Place (Chris Prickitt)
• Roseville
Fair (Bill Staines)
• Second
Wind (Claire Lynch & Pamela Brown-Hayes)
• Little
Black Pony (Marshall Wilborn)
• Story
Of Love (Chris Hillman)
• Texas
Sunrise (Steve Chiasson)
• Maybe
This Time (Rick Lang)
• Rosie
Strike Back (Eliza Gilkyson)
• Put
The Weight On Me (Jeff Kelliher)
• Border
Town (Steve Chiasson)
Reviews
This
veteran bluegrass quartet from central Maine has
returned with its first album since 1997's "Roots & Branches," and
this quality release offers something for everyone.
There's country, roots, blues and folk, all, of
course, with a healthy dollop of banjo, guitar,
harmonica and often mandolin (courtesy of guest
musician Bill Thibodeau). But one would expect nothing
less from the diverse combination of Joe and Nellie
Kennedy, Steve Chiasson and Chris Prickitt. They're
experienced musical chameleons, and "Common
Place" reflects that. There's a cover of Michael
Martin Murphy's familiar "Carolina in the Pines." There's
a half-dozen originals by Prickitt and Chiasson.
There's songs borrowed from musician friends or
overheard at a club here or a festival there. Yet
Evergreen makes them all their own.
The
foursome all take their turn singing lead and
harmony vocals, and as the vocal duties change,
so does the instrumentation. This keeps the
album fresh, or to put it another way, Evergreen.
"Common
Place" is another strong example of the
stay-at-home musical talent that exists throughout
Maine. Evergreen has come out with another
winner.
Dale
McGarrigle, Bangor Daily News-- (back
to top)
Guitar,
upright bass, banjo. Hey, wait just a cotton-pickin'
minute. What the hell has that guy got in his
hand? A harmonica? This isn't a bluegrass album!
Evergreen's follow up to 1997's Roots & Branches is
called Common Place, and it's cover
is the first clue that they're not your great
grandfather's old timey mountain band.
The
record starts off typically enough with a few
pick-up notes from the banjo and a driving
backbeat. Chris Prickitt's fingerstyle is impeccable,
but control of the song is quickly wrested
from the old five-string by Joe Kennedy's harmonica
solos. At first they seem a bit out of place,
but the marriage of traditional bluegrass set-up
(guitar, banjo, bass. mandolin, fiddle) with
mouth-harp is a happy one.
These
unlikely pairings often come off as inspired.
Besides adding harmonica to their bluegrass
numbers, they process other genres like country,
pop, and folk through a bluegrass mentality.
Evergreen tackles the contemporary subject
of domestic abuse in a song reminiscent of
the Dixie Chicks' "Goodbye Earl," in which
they suggest that "Rosie Strike Back." "Put
the Weight on Me" is a pop country song
written by Salamander Crossing's Jeff Kelliher
(another group that crosses musical boundaries
regularly). The group even tries their hand
at calypso in the south-of-the-border "Texas
Sunrise."
The
band tackles all these styles with a lot of
confidence and strengths on their side: Joe
Kennedys high, clear voice, Nellie Kennedy's
sexy farmgirl vocals, Chris Prickitt's banjo
playing. Although the album is musically all
over the map, it feels like you've never left
your home in the Appalachian mountains. As
WERU's Darwin Davidson's liner notes say, although
the Evergreen doesn't bill themselves as traditionalists, "the
overall feeling of this collection is pretty
damned good bluegrass."
Josh
Rogers, Portland Phoenix-- (back
to top)
The
rocky Atlantic coast of Maine isn't exactly
where one would expect to find bluegrass of
any sort, whether the kind Kentucky thoroughbreds
graze or of the musical kind. Nevertheless,
over the last couple of decades the annual
Thomas Point Beach festival has become one
of the premier bluegrass events on the East
Coast (and this is about as East as it gets).
Also hailing from that neck of the nearly neverending
Maine woods is Evergreen, a band that puts
their own distinctive Down East twist on the
music. Individually, the members are Chris
Prickitt on banjo and fiddle: Nell Kennedy
on bass and guitar: Joe Kennedy on harmonica
and bass; and Steve Chiasson on guitar and
bass.
While
there is a healthy sampling of the band's own
solid, original material on the album, Common
Place highlights their penchant for doing
an eclectic assortment of material that, while
outside the usual bluegrass repertoire, still
lends itself well to bluegrass treatments.
The standout examples here are their versions
of Bill Staines' "Roseville Fair." Chris
Hillman's "Story Of Love" and Eliza
Gilkyson's "Rosie Strike Back." While
other interesting cuts among the seventeen
total include Claire Lynch's "Second Wind." Marshall
Wilborn's "Little Black Pony" and Rick
Lang's "Maybe This Time" (their version
has much or the same laid back, flowing feel
to it as Front Range's version from a few years
back). "Texas Sunrise" (written by Chiasson)
has an added conjunto flavor, but perhaps the
strongest cut is the rendition of Gillian Welch's "Caleb
Meyer" that features Nell Kennedy's vocals.
While all four share the lead vocals very competently,
she seems to have the most compelling edge
to her singing. And in this case she measures
up nicely to Welch's stark original. It's the
singing, in fact, that carries this disc. They're
instrumentally solid; not particularly flashy,
but with a nice sound. Ralph Stanley might
not do bluegrass quite this way, but then,
he's not a Down Easter.
Sing
Out! Magazine-- (back
to top)
Perhaps
the best insight into Evergreen's latest CD
can be found in the band's own liner notes
to the first song: "I've always liked this
song, and we have a great time performing it."
The
material is strong and delivered with a contagious
enthusiasm. Evergreen effectively mixes original
compositions with those of contemporary songwriters
such as Gillian Welch, Bill Staines, and Chris
Hillman. Band members Chris Prickitt (banjo),
Nellie Kennedy (bass), Steve Chiasson (guitar),
and Joe Kennedy (harmonica) all contribute
to the vocals.
The
band's rhythm playing and instrumental breaks
are solid throughout. The overall sound is
made distinctive by Joe Kennedy's innovative
and (perhaps surprisingly) effective use of
the harmonica.
In
their second release, "Common Place," Evergreen
gives us a selection of songs that are anything
but.
Tim
Fitzpatrick, Bluegrass Breakdown-- (back
to top)
Darwin
Davidson (WERU) says in the liner notes to
Evergreen's newest release, Common Place, that
the band does not consider themselves bluegrass
and goes on to say that the music, in spite
of this claim, "is pretty damned good bluegrass." I'd
be curious to know what Evergreen does call
their music. To my cars this is bluegrass,
and some of its finest. Common Place is
a seducing combination of originals and covers,
a gamut of instrumental and vocal virtuosity.
When
not carrying the melody on harmonica (granted,
not a traditional bluegrass instrument) Joe
Kennedy's background fills are subtle and supporting,
lending the inherent harmonica-feel of a lonesome
locomotive whistle to many of the songs. Listen
to his long single note accompaniment to the
bridge of "Rolling By With The Time." And
then how he switches to a Mayall-like "chicka
chicka" accompaniment for the verse. Kennedy
never overplays, never obscures another melody,
never crosses the line into trying to say too
much.
All
Evergreenians sing well and sing well together.
Listen to the tight harmonies on Chris Hillman's "Story
of Love," Eliza Gilkyson's "Rosie Strike
Back" or Steve Chiasson's "Border Town." And
what a classic sound Nell Kennedy brings to
the songs when she sings lead. Holding down
bass on most tunes, her voice on Gillian Welch's "Caleb
Meyer" captures the pain of a woman brutalized
but vindicated by taking justice into her own
hands. Conveying the inherent feel of the lyrics
is a quality Nell shows whenever she rakes
the lead.
Though
the band prefers to focus on the songs, working
as a unit rather than strutting their solo
stuff, when they do solo it's topnotch. Kennedy,
Chris Prickitt on banjo, and Bill Thibodeau
on mandolin show how seamlessly melodies and
counter-melodies, in the guise of solos, can
fit together on, among others, "Carolina
in the Pines," "You'll Find a Way" and
the title track "Common Place." Nice
to know they can pull out all the stops when
they want to.
Though
still, the strength of Common Place is
in the songsmanship, in the impeccable arranging
and some extraordinary originals. Prickitt
and Steve Chiasson, who plays guitar, contribute
the originals - tunes that shine as some of
the best, if not the best, material on the
CD. Prickitt's "You'll Find a Way" is
a touching message of chin-up optimism to his
daughter on her way to college. But two of
the songs, both written by Chiasson are not
only the best on the CD but the best on many
CDs. Perhaps it was Chiasson's songs that led
the band to believe they're not bluegrass,
or maybe they meant not exclusively bluegrass,
because of these hybrids. "Texas Sunrise," speaking
of lonesome train whistles, is an easygoing,
loping melody built on a simple blues progression.
This is one of those songs that keeps popping
up in your head long after the CD has finished
playing. You can't shake it. Dig the interplay
between harmonica and accordian (yes, accordian!).
The treatment of Chiasson's "Border Town" epitomizes
the caliber of this band's arranging. It doesn't
hurt that the song itself is consumate song-writing.
It's a simple message of faded love, but the
structure, the pace, the shape of the melody,
that one unexpected chord change in the chorus,
the call and response between melody and accompaniment
gets this haunting, memorable tune my bid for
Best of Show.
Face
Magazine, Portland, ME-- (back
to top)
This "labor
of love" began in 1999 in the living room of
Joe and Nellie Kennedy and was later mastered
in a studio. While Evergreen avoids the label "bluegrass," Their
eclectic, acoustic music clearly reflects an
exposure to folk, country, and bluegrass music.
The
mixture of old and new material contained on
this project includes six original songs. Two
of the tracks deal with the darker side of
society, more specifically the violence against
women. Gillian Welch's "Caleb Meyer" is
a slow, haunting tune of raw justice while "Rosie
Strike Back" is a powerful cut encouraging
women to break the cycle of abuse. Two other
nicely presented covers include "Second
Wind" (Claire Lynch) and "Roseville
Fair" (Bill Staines). Finally, Evergreen
also puts their spin on Marshall Wilborn's
lighthearted "Little Black Pony." The
influence of Lynn Morris is especially evident
in the banjo work.
Three
original tracks are noteworthy: "You'll
Find A Way" offers encouragement during
difficult times with its grassy, uptempo feel; "Rolling
By With The Time" is a lazy, feel-good
song, and the title cut, "Common Place," is
hard-driving bluegrass. Chris Prickitt's banjo
and fiddle provide plenty of vigor, while Joe
Kennedy plays an imaginative and strong harmonica.
Bill Thibodeau has strong, yet sensitive, mandolin
chops and Steve Chiasson's guitar is solid.
Bluegrass
Now-- (back
to top)
The
independent release of Evergreen's Common
Place from the year 2000 showcases the
talents of four veteran musicians who put together
a fine collection of 17 songs with a distinct
bluegrass attitude and touches of blues, old-time
and swing. Their arrangements and presentations
make them sound like they all could be traditional
songs without the nasal and pressed singing
style of many of the early recordings. All
four members of the group take up lead vocals
to just about equal parts with mostly two harmony
voices adding depth and balance to the banjo,
guitar, harmonica, fiddle, mandolin and bass.
In fast-paced songs like the opener Carolina
In The Pines, You'll Find A Way or
the title track they show that they master
their instruments without trying to win a speed
contest. In others, they create a mood that
fits the story, be the theme travelling, love
in all its different shades, or other of life's
experiences. For instance, in Indian Summer one
can sense the person in the song rocking on
the porch and taking in the last warm rays
of the sun before the long winter.
Chris
and Steve both contributed three original songs.
Among the others are confident interpretations
of a couple of well-worn chestnuts and songs
picked up from friends and fellow musicians.
The featured accordion in Texas Sunrise adds
a bit of Tex-Mex to the discovery that the
singer is very far from home.
The
folks of Evergreen deliver upbeat good-time
music that stands up to other excellent groups
in the "Newgrass" genre.
Guntram
Gudowius, Folk & Acoustic Music Society-- (back
to top)
In
a review of their previous release (See BU,
Feb. 1998), the music of Evergreen was characterized
as "eclectic folk-bluegrass," and the latest
endeavor from this down east bluegrass band
adheres to a similar trend. The 17 selections
comprising "Common Place" are a blending
of familiar pieces like "Carolina In The
Pines," "Second Wind," and "Tennessee
Blues," along with six originals composed
by Chris Prickitt (banjo, fiddle, and' accordion)
and Steve Chiasson (guitar and bass). By far,
the most effective original numbers are Chiasson's
melodic "Border Town" and Prickitt's "What
I Feel." Prickitt and Chiasson also share
the lead vocals with assistance from fellow
band members Joe and Nellie Kennedy. One particular
aspect of Evergreen is the effective assimilation
of Joe Kennedy's harmonica playing into the
structure of the performances. Instrumentally,
Evergreen is relatively solid. However, their
vocals exude a distinctive urban flavor. While
the results are quite effective, they may not
be completely palatable to those who prefer
a more traditional approach to bluegrass. Yet,
for anyone seeking bluegrass with a modern
touch, there is certainly much to savor throughout "Common
Place."
Bluegrass
Unlimited-- (back
to top)
Maine
is fertile ground for bluegrass, and even though
they insist that they are not a bluegrass band,
it has provided good soil for Evergreen. With
Steve Chiasson, Joe Kennedy, Nellie Kennedy
and Chris Prickitt forming the band, and Bill
Thibodeau guesting on mandolin, Evergreen has
more acoustical weapons in its arsenal than
any one band ought to have. Each is a master
of his or her instrument - often two instruments
- and each sings (i.e. sings well). Their talent
is exceeded only by their experience - they
all started playing about when I was born -
and their professionalism. These folks know
how to do a band. They've got their stuff together
individually and as a group. Their excellence
gives off the illusion of effortlessness.
But
is it bluegrass? Evergreen denies it - and
of course they're right. For one thing, there's
nary an instrumental piece on the whole length
of the CD. How could it be bluegrass, without
a breakdown? But it is music firmly based in
bluegrass and Appalachian mountain folk, with
occasional forays into other areas of "eclectic
acoustic music."
Maybe
it could be called newgrass, if that word didn't
have such a specific meaning in the bluegrass
world. Honestly, the first thing that came
to mind when I heard Joe Kennedy's opening
notes on "Carolina in the Pines" was
Old and In the Way - a band featuring Vassar
Clements, Dave Grisman, and Jerry Garcia which
epitomized the idea of a great bluegrass band
that's not actually a bluegrass band. Perhaps
that says more about me than about Evergreen.
I'm not sure.
Be
that as it may, Common Place is great
stuff. Seventeen tracks of the Real Deal, featuring
songs by the greats (Bill Staines, for example)
placed side-by-side with songs written by the
band members. It's a mark of the band's quality
that Steve Chiasson's "Texas Sunrise" can
sit next to Marshall Wilborn's "Little Black
Pony" and compare favorably.
If
Evergreen suffers from anything, it is an embarrassment
of riches. There is so much on Common Place that
is worth hearing. If you do like bluegrass,
newgrass, Appalachian folk, or "eclectic acoustic
music," then Common Place will leave
you with nothing but good feelings.
Maine
Times-- (back
to top)
Great
album, full of killer songs, original arrangements,
and captivating performances. I especially
enjoyed What I Feel, Maybe This Time, You'll
Find A Way, and Indian Summer. The
band has a sound all its own, and an interesting
approach to all these tunes, always finding
a way to add something new, fresh, and exciting
to the tune.
Dave
Higgs, WLPN-FM-- (back
to top)
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