Tara Nevins - Mule to Ride

Fiddler Tara Nevins's name adorns this fine newgrass outing. She also claims production credit and penned four of the 20 songs here while arranging several others. But it's apparent from the opening track, the traditional "Fall on My Knees," that this is no one-woman showcase. In fact, Nevins, who's a fine vocalist, turns the mic over to old Donna the Buffalo foil Jim Miller right out of the box. Elsewhere, mountain-music patriarch Ralph Stanley and others take vocal duties. Not that Nevins is shy: listen to how she makes the traditional "Troubles" her own with help from Mike Seeger and perfectly complementary Native American vocal treatments from Moontee Sinqua. Her repertoire leans toward old-timey tunes, but she's not afraid to reach into her bag of tricks to pull out something like the blues warhorse "Sittin' on Top of the World." Nevins and her crew stretch the reach of bluegrass, but just enough so that they sit down and get comfortable again. --Steven Stolder Amazon.com

A strong, surprising, solid bluegrass album

Can't say as I've been much of a fan of fiddler Tara Nevin's Dead-ish stoner-billy band, Donna The Buffalo, but this solo album is rock solid from beginning to end. It's heavy on the traditional bluegrass for the first half, and then she starts sneaking in some great country tunes, most of which she wrote herself. Guest include Ralph Stanley (of course), Mike Seeger, Don Rigsby, and some soulful vocals by Jim Miller, her bandmate from Donna The Buffalo. Nice record! Recommended. December 19, 2002

Great blend of bluegrass and old-time with modern touches

Tara Nevins is a brilliant fiddler who also has a lovely singing voice. The only regret I have is that she only uses it on five songs, more often relying on husband Jim Miller for vocals. However, this is but a minor point. Jim is a fine singer, and the musicianship from all concerned is abolutely semsational. You couldn't fall asleep listening to this.

The album is full of contrasts, not just with different voices, but some great instrumentals and a variety of tempos and moods, but generally an upbeat, energetic album which will provide new delights with every listen. To make it even greater value, there are twenty tracks (rare for an album of new recordings) with a running time of about an hour. The quantity in no way dilutes the quality, which never drops.

This is a brilliant album from Tara, who is also (with her husband) a member of Donna the Buffalo. July 27, 2002

better wakeup than a triple expresso!!!

At the Telluride Festival last month, I was fortunate to hear Tara and her husband, Jim Miller (both members of the jam band DONNA THE BUFFALO), Dirk Powell, and Tim O'Brien, perform/jam at an Old Time workshop. From the front row I heard these purveyors of Traditional Music. Talk about ear candy!! I thought I'd died and gone the great hearafter. I'd known about Dirk and Tim previously, but not about Tara and Jim. Now it's time everyone does. It seems that this electric rock band DONNA THE

BUFFALO is filled with OLD TIME musicians! After the workshop was over, I hastened yonder to the festival's cd tent, and quickly purchased Tara's cd and one by Jim Miller that they only sell at their concerts, called Herd I'm Drinkin' which I would characterize as the one Gram Parsons always wanted to make, but didn't live long enough to. On Tara's disc, she bows some great fiddle strings, whilst Jim does most of the vocals. There are many songs on this disc that will inspire the lame to dance, the crippled to rise up and grab a partner, and the blind to see the light. This folks, is real down home music, the stuff that runs in all our veins, the kind that is about pure spirit and wholesome energy that will change your life. and go see DONNA THE BUFFALO next time they are in your area, so you can feel the charge they give, and buy Jim's disc while you're there. July 5, 2001

Friends enjoying themselves playing old-time music

This CD is a revelation -- it's a side of Tara Nevins that doesn't really come through in her excellent Donna the Buffalo work. It's a communal effort, with Tara simply joining the ensemble on a number of tracks. On others, her rip-roaring fiddle playing and beautiful, haunting singing are simply magnificent. It's a more than generous amount of music, and the most captivating CD I've listened to in a very long time. May 11, 2001

Great bluegrass/old-time work

This is one of the best bluegrass/old-time cd's I've heard in a long, long time. It gets played over and over again. There are three songs that have excessive drums (in my opinion out of place for this type of music), but everything else is truly outstanding.

Tara's fiddle work is absolutely captivating. It's the kind of music that is easy to get completely immersed in.

Highly recommended. January 15, 2001

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