Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum - Guest House (2014)

With a career that dates back to the mid-1970s, Laurie Lewis has always been an avid promoter of the music she loves. Here the justly lauded fiddler, singer, and songwriter teams with mandolinist Tom Rozum for their third album together. The 13 songs on Guest House mix Lewis originals with traditional numbers and well-chosen covers by some important writers from the second half of the 20th century (including Hazel Dickens, Jim Ringer, Si Kahn, and Slim Willet). When Lewis and Rozum harmonize it is truly a thing of beauty; the evocative intervals they employ on "Since You Went Away" are simply breathtaking. Additional players add supple oomph and wallop throughout, most notably Todd Sickafoose on bass and Craig Smith on banjo. --David Greenberger

There was a time when Laurie Lewis was seen as the queen of West Coast bluegrass, as if it was a different animal from Southern bluegrass. It's not, of course, and these days Lewis is recognized as one of the music's major practitioners. This showcases her vocal talents and puts her playing on the back burner, and she can certainly use her voice, especially on the two Hazel Dickens songs here, with "Scars from an Old Love" being so good you actually hold your breath during the song. That she's also a strong writer is demonstrated by three of her own compositions, with "O My Malissa" being the best, the tale of the courtship between the late great Bill Monroe's parents. It would be unfair to play down Tom Rozum's contributions, as he offers some scintillating mandolin work that's an absolute joy, and provides a perfect vocal foil for Lewis on tracks like "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" and "Since You Went Away." They both get to shine vocally on "Quiet Hills," an a cappella piece that's made of fragile beauty. Closing with an instrumental medley was a good cleansing idea, and everyone obviously has a glorious time with it, Lewis' fiddle work on the first piece atmospheric and moving. All in all, a joyous, often lovely record.