Kevin Miller - Bluebird Train

Hear The Track Here

I would be one of the first to say that we all face an overwhelming number of one-man bands on Soundclick (and elsewhere), a large number of whom tend to be men of a certain age which raises a lot of hackles every once in a while. Time and again you will have read someone attacking this guy or that (and they usually ARE guys) because they are too old to be making music and - a much more damning point - their music sounds old too. Personally I disagree on all points but I would because I am also an old geezer who is N-E-V-E-R going to be too old to make music. Why, I even have my funeral anthems all filed in A-Z order.

How cool is that?

Moreover if there is anyone who knows just how many there, it would be me simply because I've reviewed most of them. Sure, there are some that either need to try a lot, lot harder, or need to stop trying altogether but mostly, I find these musicians to be of a particular quality with very standouts. Kevin Miller, like (say) Ralph Atkinson, Ron Vogel and others are IMHO a step above that crowd and Kevin in particular has given me some splendid Americana moments so I am always open to listening to new things.

Bluebird Train reeks of Americana consisting of two classic American themes: travel and bluegrass. Kevin's family are usually roped into the proceedings and such is the case here. Bluebird Train features wife Sarah on bass and son Forrest on banjo and is about as American as Mom and apple pie. I have always had a distinct taste for American country music (ie NOT country and western which IMHO is the commercialised version and has nothing whatsover to do with country music), but especially the music of the mountains and forests of the early American experience. I first heard bluegrass while watching some old black and white BBC documentary on American music in the early 1960's. That triggered a fascination with the genre that lasts to this day, enabling me to get the most out of a track like Bluebird Train. The point of all this is, we all get old, but some of us get better with it.

Highly Recommended Bluegrass Special.