THE GORDONS -OUR TIME
[December 2008]
InsideOut Records
49
It's always nice when the look of a CD faithfully represents the music within. In the case of "Our Time" the Gordons (Gary and Roberta), a simple and tasteful picture of the two of them standing backtoback,
holding guitar and autoharp and looking comfortably wellmatched, aptly depicts the contents and spirit of the album. Their harmonies are seamless and without pretense, and their song choice covers a nice
range of material with one foot in oldtime and one in bluegrass.
Half of the 14 songs they do are originals, and their treatments of traditional ballads, such as "Blackjack Davey" and "Shady Grove," and renditions of more contemporary numbers, such as Si Kahn's "300 Miles From Hazard" and a pair of Norman Blake songs, "Lincoln's Funeral Train" and "Randall Collins," show an unaffected respect for the essence of the songs.
A particularly nice track is a version of Julie Miller's "All My Tears," a song that has gotten a lot of treatment since Emmylou Harris did her excellent version years ago.
While many people have tried to emulate her arrangement, the Gordons strip the song down to its core, using simple instrumental support and their quietly passionate voices to give the song fresh new life.
Another standout track is Randy Leiner's "When I Get Over You," a deceptively simple lostlove song that evokes the heartbroken beauty that the best duet singing can express.
The Gordons draw on a nice supporting cast, including multiinstrumentalists Robert Bowlin and Bruce Molsky, along with banjoist Tim Carter. All hands contribute
to a recording that captures a sweet and gentle simplicity that's often hard to find in music these days. (InsideOut Records, 166 W. Broadway
St., Sparta, IL 62286,
http://www.bluegrassmusic.com/index.php