KEVIN NEIDIG & HENRY KORETZKY with Aaron Blouin
Singer/guitarist Kevin Neidig and mandolinist/singer Henry Koretzky have played alongside each other for nearly thirty years, but this is the first time they've recorded their duo repertoire. Joined by bassist Aaron Blouin, Kevin and Henry have crafted a dozen tracks that represent the range and energy of their live performances.
Track listing:
1) Big River = Kevin sings this Johnny Cash classic with a traditionalist's respect and a rocker's energy.
2) For Shame of Doing Wrong = Henry's turn to revive an old Richard Thompson song and imbue it with a bluegrass drive.
3) Good Things Happen (When You're Around) = Kevin delivers a gently loving version of this romantic ballad written by Jamie Hartford, son of John Hartford.
4) A Mountaineer Is Always Free = Henry is in the forefront of this immigrant family history from Tim O'Brien's classic concept album, The Crossing.
5) Standing Still = Jeff Black is one of Kevin's favorite contemporary songwriters and it shows in this evocative rendition.
6) Fistful of Rain = Henry had previously recorded this old-time arrangement of This song that composer Warren Zevon once referred to as a "Buddhist gospel song" with the duo Rootbound but Kevin puts his own fingerprints on this version.
7) One More Year = Henry brings a gentle touch to this moving song by Australian songwriter Shane Nicholson from his collaboration with Kasey Chambers.
8) Never Been to Spain = On this classic song from the pen of Hoyt Axton, Kevin is front and center on a sinuous grooving treatment of a number that was a hit for Three Dog Night and Elvis Presley.
9) Dark Hollow = This bluegrass standard has never sounded so mournful and...well, dark...than in this atmospheric arrangement by Kevin.
10) Runaway Train = written by John Stewart and popularized by Rosanne Cash, Henry gives it the bluegrass treatment...because what's an Americana album without a train song?
11) Kevin is a prolific and gifted songwriter, and this is the sole original on this recording. A soaring waltz from his work with the group Voxology.
12) Time Changes Everything = The final track pays homage to Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys as well as the power of modulation. Fondly referred to as Key Change Is Everything.
The Players:
Kevin Neidig is a brilliant guitarist versed in bluegrass and Django swing and his distinctive songwriting and powerfully expressive singing have helped make him 2023 Best Americana Artist as selected by the Central Pennsylvania Music Association and a 2023 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artist. He has released numerous solo recordings as well as albums by the group Voxology.
Henry Koretzky has played mandolin, guitar, mandocello and hammered dulcimer in styles ranging from bluegrass to celtic to swing to klezmer with groups such as Cornerstone, Rootbound, the Old World Folk Band, Sweetwater Reunion, the Contra Rebels and High Strung.
Aaron Blouin is an accomplished bassist based in eastern Pennsylvania who has contributed his rock-solid grooves to a variety of folk and Americana projects.
