Search - Jeanette Band Williams :: Too Blue

Themes of family, gospel, heartache, and fun are the heart a

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 11/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"[...]



Playing time -- 39:12 (14 tracks)-- Jeanette Williams knows that a song isn't worth singing unless you can truly feel and believe what you're singing about and, in turn, have the ability to convey that message to others. On first listen, one might find this CD to be "awfully purty". Give it a second listen. "Too Blue" is full of the themes that pull people toward both bluegrass music and the bluegrass lifestyle. Themes of family, gospel, heartache, and fun are the heart and soul of this well-rounded CD.



Nicely mixed and mastered, "Too Blue" takes you on a musical trip that will make you laugh, cry, and play these tunes over and over until you know how to perform them yourself. Jeanette shares lead vocal duties with husband and guitarist Johnny Williams, which breaks up the songlist nicely as Jeanette leans towards showcasing her beautiful voice with image inspiring tunes while Johnny goes for a more old-timey, hard-biting sound. In fact, Johnny's "What You Gonna Do?" is the toe-tapping, high-energy, up-tempo, you-can't-help-but-grin, don't-listen-to-this-while-driving, most fun song on the CD.



Along with Jeanette Williams and husband/guitarist Johnny Williams, the band consists of husband and wife team Kevin (mandolin) and Sandra (banjo) Bancom and bassist Marsha Bowman (who also plays a mean old-timey clawhammer banjo on "Squirrel Tail"). Becky Buller (on loan from Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike) sits in as guest fiddler.



[...] I was anxious to review this CD soley because I wanted to hear the Roy McMillan tune "I Ought To Know You", which is the second cut on "Too Blue". This is a song about a visit to a parent who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. As a person very involved with The Alzheimer's Association and the disease process, I can guarantee you that this song hit's the "nail on the head". It tells a story that happens every day, over and over again, in heart wrenching detail. I have made our local Alzheimer's Association aware of this tune, and hope to see it used in the future as part of the Association's promotional materials. This song alone is worth the price of the CD. Well done, Jeanette, well done. (Kathy Boyd)

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