Search - Matt Combs :: The Devil's Box

Matt Combs
The Devil's Box
Genres: Country, Pop

Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
1. Wailing in My Sleep
2. June Apple
3. Over the Waterfall
4. Glory in the Meetinghouse
5. Royal Box Waltz
6. Forker Deer
7. Sail Away Ladies
8. Midnight on the Water
9. Red Rose Reel
10. Miller's Reel
11. Fisher's Hornpipe
12. Coo Coo's Nest
13. Big Sciota

CD Details

All Artists: Matt Combs
Title: The Devil's Box
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Small Dog a-Barkin'
Original Release Date: 10/1/1998
Release Date: 10/1/1998
Genres: Country, Pop
Style: Bluegrass
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 740517089821

Synopsis

Album Description

This is an fiddle CD of old time tunes with a not so old timey treatment. The fiddle is the primary solo instrument backed up by different groupings of musicians. The disk which is out on John Hartford's record label features John's banjo playing along with member s of the Hartford String Band (Chris Sharp, guitar and Mike Compton, Mandolin). Also on the CD is Mike Snider of the the Grand Ole Opry.

CD Reviews

Review from "Dirty Linen"

Bruce E. Baker | Goose Creek, SC | 01/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is hard to believe that "The Devil's Box" is a debut recording. Matt Combs is an excellent fiddler, and he has surrounded himself with some fine musicians to produce a CD of old-time tunes. Combs' basis soundis well within the parameters of what most ears will consider "old-time," but he has the facility to add a more sophisticated and modern tone at will, along the lines of John Hartford or Art Stamper. Some of the tunes are played in a fairly straight arrangement of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and guitar, but even this standard combination of instruments is not allowed to place unnatural bounds around the music. Rather than a stultifying bass-strum-bass-strum accompaniment, the accompanists, especcialy Jim Wood on guitar, often tailor their rhythm and chord colors to match the tune, with excellent results. Hearing Combs' lyrical "Over the Waterfall," or "Forked Deer" in this way reminds us of the intrinsic melodic beauty of a music known tooo often for its drive and power. With, Wood, Combs gives some fine twin fiddling on "fisher's Hornpipe," and especcially "Glory in the Meeting House." With the help of John Hartford, Jim Wood, Avery Augur, Chris Sharp, and Mike Compton,Combs has made a startling entry into the realm of fiddle recordings"