''Something 'Bout You''

'Audiophile' Magazine said:

I was first introduced to the art of country duet singing by the records
of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. As a hippy-dippy Deadhead,
suddenly music that had seemed old-fashioned and corny to me was
revealed as being part of a beautiful genre. My ears had been opened;
Alleluia! The subject of this review is from that beautiful genre, “Something
‘Bout You” by Amy Gallatin and Roger Williams (The Dobro player, not the guy who founded Rhode Island). The songs are superb, as is the musicianship. The disc begins with the title track, written by Kevin Welch, a local bluegrass legend in western New England. It’s about two people who are very happy with their lives as they are, thank you, but find themselves falling for each other anyway. “I’ve got this life of mine, It’s nice and quiet and I like it fine. / I work real hard; I’ve got no time for you. /I’ve whiskied up my coffee cup, I’m sittin’ here tryin’ not to call you up. / It’s getting’ to where I don’t know what to do. / there’s something ‘bout you.” “I Thought I Heard You Calling My Name” is the second track on this disc, and it’s a fine one. The theme is typical for country music; “I thought I heard you calling my name, but by now you’re so many miles away.” “Slowly But Surely” is an upbeat “I’m falling in love, isn’t it wonderful?” tune saved from a schmaltzy fate by the musicianship of Williams and some fine sound of his Dobro. “Tear Stained Letter,” written by Roy Acuff, is a slow ballad featuring again some great Dobro work from Roger, as well as a nice piano fill by Ronnie Godfrey. Tex-Mex style makes an appearance with “my Dreams,” a sprightly tune with truly great pedal steel from John Heinrich. Amy then returns to her western roots with a song by Gene Autry, ”Old Pal of Yesterday.” “Don’t Blame Me“ has a distinct jazz feel to it, a slow tempo ballad with the percussionist making good use of his brushes. One of my personal favorite songs has always been “So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad).” For me, it would take a lot for anyone to outdo the version by Gene Clark, but here, Amy and Roger do just that. The harmonies here are
absolutely wonderful, with again, some great piano work from Ronnie
Godfrey as well as fiddle from Shad Cobb and more of that great steel
from John Henrich. The CD closer is “I Don’t Care,” where Amy tells her lover that she doesn’t care about other women in the past, she only wants him to be true to her from now on. “I don’t care if I’m not the first love you’ve
known, / just so I’ll be the last.” “Yesterday’s gone/ love me from now on/ be true to me/ forget about the past. The disc was recorded in Nashville, and the production is about what one would expect, with not a great deal of dynamic range. The stage is fairly wide, but without a lot of depth. The sound is crisp and clean as the proverbial whistle. If you aren’t familiar with the fine art of country duet singing, may I suggest this CD as a fine starting
point for exploring the genre? May I also suggest, in case you have never
heard them, the recordings by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris, as well as “So Rebellious a Lover” by Gene Clark and Carla Olson. You
could then move on to George and Tammy, Porter and Dolly, etc. Have
Fun! This one’s highly recommended, by the way.

Mike Driscoll


'Sing Out' Magazine said of:
''Phoenix'' and "Something 'Bout You''

A native of Alabama, Amy Gallatin's career path as a folk./bluegrass singer and songwriler over the last two decades has passed through Idaho, on the way to her current base in New England where in the last few years she has teamed up professionally and personally with Ihe superlative Dobro artist Roger Williams; their shared affinity for their country and blue· grass backgrounds is on display on these two fine releases. Familiar to many bluegrass fans through his work with Northeast based bands like Southern Rail and White Mountain Bluegrass, Williams isn't quite the household name on his instrument as say, Jerry Douglas or Mike Auldridge. but resophonic aficionados will quickly tell you that he's easily in the same league. His powerful, driving slyle incorporates a lot of the classic country elements popularized by predecessors like Josh Graves, Brother Oswald, Deacon Brumfield and even as far back as Cliff Carlisle. And, as demonstrated on both of these discs, he's a more than capable vocalist.

With a clear, true voice that's well suited to bluegrass, Gallatin works her way through a variety of material on Phoenix, from Hank Williams ("Baby We're Really In Love") to lraditional fare like "The Waler Is Wide", as well as more contemporary material from the likes of David Mallett ("Somewhere In Time"), Tanya Savory ("40, 80 or 10") and Marie and
Sheila Bums ("Dance Upon This Earth"). Stillwalers has been her band for the lasl several years, and in addition to Williams the vocal core of the current lineup is bassist John Urbanik, making for a nice trio sound.

Where Phoenix is the sort of spirited bluegrass that might be heard on stage at any of the hundreds of festivals across tbe country, Something 'Bout You is more like what you'd hear if you slipped out the back door of the Ryman Auditorium to Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, or any of the other smoky joints along Nashville's Broadway. Gallatin and Williams join up for duet turns on classic country songs of love and heartache ranging from Roy Acuffs "Tear Stained Letter'" to the Everlys' "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)", with stops along the way for Gene Autry ("Old Pal Of Yesterday"), Melba Montgomery ("Will There Ever Be Another") and more. The backup cast includes sterling harmony work by Kathy Chiavola, and it wouldn't be a "country" album without John Heinrich's pedal steel counterpoint to Williams' Dobro. Both of these albums are clearly and intelligently produced, and they are a lot of fun to listen to.

John Lupton

BLUEGRASS NOW, May 1998 said:

Ray Legere and Roger Williams go together like peanut butter and jelly; they bring out the best in each other. River of No Return is a testament to the power of friendship in a musical setting. It is clearly evident on every track that these two fellows love to get together and play music. The amazing thing is, outside of a short European tour, these two have never been in the same band.

Both possess considerable talents as songwriters. Eight of the twelve tracks are originals (four penned by Legere, four by Williams), and all are quality pieces. The multi-talented Legere is equally adept at fiddle, mandolin, and guitar, and through the magic of overdubbing, he performs all three instruments on all the tracks. He uses every inch of the neck on all his instruments, effortlessly gliding up and down the fretboard. Williams has a "classic" country voice, somewhat reminiscent of Randy Travis, and his dobro style is progressive but not over the top.

Legere and Williams perform contemporary bluegrass, but include elements of blues, jazz, and traditional bluegrass as well. Legere's "Step, Stomp, and Stumble" is a supercharged fiddle tune, while his "This Lonesome Fiddler" is a rollicking blues number. Williams contributes songs with a touch of melancholy in the instrumental "Contemplation" and the beautiful "Snowy Afternoon." The duo also satisfies fans of uptempo bluegrass with "River of No Return" and the Louvin Brothers chestnut, "Can't Keep You in Love With Me."

The backing musicians play crucial, yet understated roles. Singers Darren Farrell and Jean Marc Doiron perform excellent, emotional lead and harmony vocals. Frank Doody plays some excellent backing banjo, stepping forward on "River of No Return." Bassist Brian Arsenault absolutely rocks "Can't Keep You in Love With Me" and "This Lonesome Fiddler."

River of No Return is an excellent example of studio musicianship. The song arrangements are impeccable, and one would never believe that this was not recorded live. This one might be a little tough to find, but well worth the effort. (TB)


BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED, June 1998 said:

RAY LEGERE AND ROGER WILLIAMS
"River of No Return"

The title of this impressive CD notwithstanding, Ray Legere and Roger Williams are back with as much flow to their music as ever. In fact, this isn't a flowing river at all. It's a torrent of notes, ideas, and moment after moment of enjoyment. You'll tap your feet, lean forward toward your stereo speakers to catch each lively lick, and shake your head in wonderment at how good these guys are.

Legere and Williams may be best known to northeastern audiences as former members of the New England-based band White Mountain Bluegrass. Legere, a Canadian, has guested on former Johnson Mountain Boys banjo picker Tom Adams's solo CD "Right Hand Man." Williams has been seen most recently with the band Southern Rail.

Legere is a phenomenal fiddle, mandolin, and guitar plays. He's melded bluegrass, old-time, country, swing, and jazz ideas so well and so seamlessly that I would have to put him in a class with Aubrey Haynie and Randy Howard and a hot, multi-talented virtuoso. Spiraling arpeggios, triplets, fast pull-offs, and complex ornamentations are child's play to such musicians. But like Haynie and Howard, Legere starts by getting the most out of a melody, tonefully and beautifully, and never plays flashy for the sake of flash.

His partner, resonator guitarist Roger Williams, is no slouch either. Williams, like all great acoustic slide players, can be mellow and lingering or crisp and jaunty. He's also a very fine singer and handles most of the lead work here. His rendition of James L. Muller's "Little Man" has more than a little of Merle Haggard in voice and emotion, which perfectly suits the song. Legere, who has a good tenor harmony voice, provides lead for the Louvin Brothers' "Can't Keep You In Love With Me," as he did during his stint with the band Acoustic Horizon Bluegrass. It was often requested then, and you can hear why.

True musicians are as skilled at raising and molding slow, evocative pieces as they are tossing off fast, sparks-flying riffs. Legere and Williams (with help from Frank Doody on banjo and Brian Arsenault on bass) really set fires on such Legere originals as "Puddle Jumper" and "Step, Stomp, and Stumble." But they make smooth and emotionally satisfying transitions in their approaches to such reflective Williams compositions as "Contemplation" and "Snowy Afternoon."

Guest vocalists Daren Farrell and Jean-Marc Doiron do quite well blending with the principals and assaying the challenges of the sheer variety of material here. Farrell and Doiron deserve special praise for their lead and duet on "This Lonesome Fiddler," a truly bluegrassy track which, in its theme and bluesy scale, could have come from the mind of Bill Monroe himself.

Here's an additional kudo for River of No Return. The CD was recorded and mixed in analog format before its transfer to digital compact disc. Many acoustic musicians are returning to analog recording, finding that the old tube systems just seem to give greater warmth to their sound than more technologically advanced chips and hard circuit equipment. It certainly works here.

Circumstances may conspire to keep Legere and Williams out of the acoustic music limelight. They have toured successfully in Europe and been well-received in North America. But Legere has reportedly been unable to play as frequently as he'd like in the U.S. due to strict enforcement of American work permit rules governing Canadians, Strictly Country Records has an awesome roster of stars, being renowned for its well-received "Live in Holland" releases featuring Joe Val, Robin & Linda Williams, Jimmy Gaudreau, and others, but there is probably only so much exposure the label can get for Legere and Williams in the United States. River of No Return was recorded in 1994 and released in 1996, so there appears to be some real time lag in getting this superb material out to a wider public. I hope that these factors, in the end, will turn out to be minor ones. Legere and Williams are a terrific team. They deserve to be heard. (Strictly Country Records, Postbus 32, 9540 AA Vlagtweddle, Holland) RDS

Crossroads Magazine said:

RAY LEGERE AND ROGER WILLIAMS
"River of No Return"
Strictly Country Records

Here is a recording should be receiving more attention than it has. This is not the first time Ray and Roger have recorded together, but it is the first CD that has shared their names. Together they are an incredible bluegrass team. Ray Legere's almost flawless work on mandolin, fiddle, and guitar is complemented by Roger Williams' creative approach to the dobro. The songs range from up-tempo bluegrass instrumentals, to country balladry soulfully sung by Roger Williams, such as the track 'Little Man'. 'River Of No Return', the title track, brought back memories of the later period New Grass Revival vocal harmonies, and sharp instrumentation.

The standout cut on the CD was the Ray Legere composition 'This Lonesome Fiddler', which lives fully up to it's namesake with nice vocal harmonies provided by Darren Farrell and Jean-Marc Doiron. Roger Williams, while mainly influenced by masters such as Josh Graves, adds a more emotional beauty to songs like 'Contemplation'. The focus of the recording seems to be instrumental, which makes vocal tracks, such as Roger's 'Snowy Afternoon' welcome respites to Ray's hard-driving bluegrass selections such as 'Cruisin' The Autobahn'. Other musicians showcased on the disc are Frank Doody who plays some great banjo, and Brian Arsenault on the bass. Not a CD that should be missed if you like bluegrass.

- Jon Colcord

Here is a pleasant collection of all-instrumental bluegrass from a New England dobroist who exhibits total authority of that instrument. While Roger Williams may not be a household name among bluegrass aficionados, his music has a universal message. In reality, Roger describes his instrument as an "R.Q. Jones Resophonic Guitar", but whatever the name, "Rt. 2 to Amherst" is a scrumptious journey through the bluegrass genre New England style. Roger has included no less than five of his own compositions, with titles such as "Hard Times, Over Easy," "Bus Bounce," "Jonathan's Lullaby" and the album's title song. His style has a strong stroke of originality. Of particular interest is his instrumental version of the ancient Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper heart song, "No One Now". Williams is deftly supported by Raymond Legere (bass, mandolin, fiddle and guitar) and Frank Doody (banjo) accompanied by a significant garnishing of studio overdubbing. Legere enjoys double duty as the album's engineer and co-producer. The results are an abounding morsel of bluegrass musicana complete with a slight contemporary flavoring. For anyone seeking solid bluegrass instrumentals with a masterful dobroist in the forefront, "Rt. 2 to Amherst" is truly a delightful musical tidbit.