Artist:     Rudi Ekstein

Album:     Carolina Chimes

Label:     Foxfire Recording

Release Date:     10.5.1028

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Asheville-based mandolinist Rudi Ekstein has worn a lot of hats in the world of bluegrass, as a player, producer, band leader and recording engineer. He has also worked with many of the best players of this genre. On Carolina Chimes he gets to do all that and also be the composer of all twelve songs.

The bulk of them are flat-out, hold-on-to-your-hat wild rides that he takes you on with Stuart Duncan on the fiddle, Jeff Autry guitar, three banjo players (not all at once): Patrick Sauber, Seth Rhinehart, and Jeff Plotnik, who doubles on Dobro. Mark Schatz, who I’ve heard many times live, keeps them from flying away completely with his solid bass on all but one tracks. The one he doesn’t get to play on though, just happens to be my favorite track, “Rockalachia,” and Rob Parks does a stellar job with a great boogie feel, that brings the much-missed Roy Huskey Jr to my mind. The entire album brings back many great memories to me of John Hartford’s many musical excursions through the years, jam sessions with Mike Marshall down in Florida back in the ’70’s and all sorts of good stuff.

Another nice touch is Rudi’s liner notes, which gives you insight into what inspired him to write each tune—very helpful when they are all instrumentals. I would suggest the best way to listen to this CD is on a nice drive through the country or anywhere. I know it will be helping me while away the miles in December when I drive from Tennessee to Florida to get some sand in my shoes for the winter.

—Ken Spooner