October 4, 2002

Open Road
"Cold Wind"
Rounder Records

Open Road is one of a flock of Colorado bluegrass bands emerging in the past five years that are making a strong impact on the genre's national scene.

Its soon-to-be-released second recording, "Cold Wind," demonstrates a masterful approach that combines a traditionalist attitude, sterling musicianship, soulful vocal harmonies and driving energy.

The group, consisting currently of Bradford Lee Folk on guitar, Caleb Roberts on mandolin, Jim Runnels on banjo, Eric Thorin on bass and Robert Britt on fiddle, dwells in a sepia-toned sound that conjures mental pictures of pickup trucks rattling across Dust Bowl landscapes, and lantern-lit barn dances. Bucking the current trend of cross-pollinating old-time tunes with, jazz, funk, and other influences, Open Road sticks to straight-ahead original compositions and covers of classics that cook or sweetly swing, as appropriate.

Produced by local legend, top dobro player Sally Van Meter, "Cold Wind" has an open, honest sound that crisply highlights each performer's strengths. Tastefulness is the key word here, and there's not a bit of solo hot-dogging to be found. Instead, the arrangements are carefully constructed to support the songs themselves, weaving their emphases in expert balance. The original pieces, such as Folk's title track and "Some Things Does, Some Things Don't", Runnels' "Kanesville," and Roberts' "South Saluda Ramble" (which has a funky, "surf's-up" feel), stand up strong in comparison to their renditions of older tunes. These include a moving cover of a Hank Williams gospel song, "How Can You Refuse Him Now," the rollicking Kershaw ditty, "Sally-Jo," Mac Martin's "Francis Lee," and the traditional "Who's Going Down to Town."

The recording's lineup differs somewhat from the present group's membership, featuring the talents of Ben O'Connor on bass and Dan Mitchell, Stuart Duncan, and Eddie Stubbs wielding the fiddle on various tracks. Still, as an appearance at Lyons' Rockygrass festival this summer proved, the present constellation of Open Road talent looks to capture plenty of attention in the future.

-- Brad Weismann