“With the help of a stellar cast of musicians, Mary Beth Cross has crafted a warm and friendly listening experience that indeed feels like home. The disc opens with a cover of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song”, an interesting choice and a rarely covered tune perhaps due to it’s singular melody and definitive version by Simon and Garfunkel. The instrumentation and the vocals take a casual and perhaps more reflective approach to the song and infuses it with a wistful quality. “Threshing Time” tells family stories and has the feel of a conversation between neighbors over a backyard fence. “Shady Grove” gives the assembled musicians and chance to stretch out a bit – Chris Pandolfi on banjo, Tyler Grant on guitar, and playing fiddle and mandolin, Jeremy Garrett, held together by Adrian Engfer on bass. There are more covers than originals on the recording so that makes me take note of the arrangements in particular. “Long, Long Time”, previously known as a slow, sad song gets a new treatment here with a chugging groove on the verses that morphs into a straight up bluegrass groove on the chorus. The mood shifts to a smokey jazz feel on “Summertime”, again featuring some tasteful playing. The tune is part of a minor key medley that pulls together Cross’s own tune “Pas De Deux” with Van Morrison’s “Moondance”. The album wraps up with “Cottonwood Creek” celebrating home and family. A pleasant musical journey indeed.”
Colorado Bluegrass Society Review
