Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(13 customer reviews) 10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
The Measure of a Songwriter...,
March 6, 2003 S. L. Winant "aceethno" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swanee: The Music of Stephen Foster (Audio CD)
...is how well his songs outlast their original era and context. That Stephen Foster was probably America's first important songwriter is inarguable. Yet it would be a mistake to _leave_ his songs there. This CD, to my mind, proves that his compositions have staying power. Bluegrass/folk treatments are a natural medium for Foster's songs, and the performances here are assured and approachable. Forget about "anachronism" as another reviewer put it. It would do Stephen Foster even more injustice to abandon his songs to the style of light opera or "parlor" music. They're better than that, and this disc proves it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
A great way to discover or REdiscover Foster's music,
December 26, 2002 Brewgrass "brewgrass" (Martinez, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swanee: The Music of Stephen Foster (Audio CD)
I received this CD as a XMas gift, and I was already familiar with most of the songs. The performances and arrangements are terrific, and including both a vocal and an instrumental version of Angelina Baker was a great idea! The liner notes are wonderful, too!
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Bluegrassy renditions of Foster's best,
July 8, 2002 Pedrovski "Dr. Gonzo" (CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Swanee: The Music of Stephen Foster (Audio CD)
Interesting and pleasant arrangements of Stephen Foster's most popular songs in a string band/bluegrass style.A great lineup of talent including Tim O'Brien, Joe Craven, Laurie Lewis, and Tony Trischka, to name a few.
