The Foghorn Stringband is a Portland, Oregon, institution. And on the basis of extensive tours of North America, the U.K., and Europe, it’s also known and loved wherever American roots music is appreciated. The Foghorns – all of whom sing – are master mandolinist Caleb Clauder, fiddler Stephen “Sammy” Lind, guitarist Reeb Willms and bassist Nadine Landry. They’ve been playing and recording together since at least 2004 – as the Foghorn Stringband, as the Dirk Powell Band when they back master Cajun musician Powell, or in side projects that include the country-western combo the Caleb Clauder Band or the Nadrine Landry & Stephen “Sammy” Lind old-time/Cajun duo.
On Devil, their seventh release, they focus squarely on the American old-time songbook, the kind of tunes and songs you’ll always hear at jam sessions in festival parking lots. On stage the band prefers to gather around one microphone, leaning in to sing or play instrumental solos, and this recording, done at a little studio on the Hawaiian island of Kauai of all places, presents a similar aesthetic.
They kick it right off with the breakneck squaredance tune “Stillhouse” with Lind’s strong tenor delivering the vocals. Landry and Willms next offer a wonderful take on the Hazel and Alice standard “Mining Camp Blues.” Here’s a live performance of it from a recent Pickathon.
Clauder sings lead on the classic “Columbus Stockade” as well as “John Hardy”; Landry and Clauder duet on a waltz-time arrangement of the Child ballad “Henry Lee”; and they do another superb duet on “Longing For A Home.” Landry and Willms deliver an a capella duet on the traditional English song “What Will We Do” in the manner of Hazel and Alice covering the Silly Sisters. If you want the hair on the nape of your neck to stand up straight, take a listen to this version of “Pretty Polly” with Lind in the lead and Clauder’s foggy baritone on harmony. A little lighter fare is offered by Landry singing “90 Miles An Hour,” a Hank Snow honky-tonk song pushed up to bluegrass tempo.
You might come for the instrumentals, and there are plenty, including the superb squaredance reel “Old Molly Hare” with Sammy leading (well, he sings the brief refrains, so it’s not technically an instrumental). There’s also the traditional “Lost Gal” and “Chicken Reel” both after Clyde Davenport, the contemporary stringband dance tune “Jailbreak” and my favorite, “Paddy On The Turnpike.”
Devil in the Seat is another top-notch offering from this premier stringband. They’re almost constantly on tour, so look for dates on their website at foghornstringband.com
(self-released, 2015)
