John Reischman and the Jaybirds continue their mastery of bluegrass with Stellar Jays, the fourth album from this critically-acclaimed, JUNO-nominated band. The most recent Jaybirds CD featuring original material from all five band members as well as songs from the public domain.
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:
“Clarity, energy, good ensemble work, classy originals and an adventurous approach to Folk and Bluegrass standards… bluegrass and acoustic music fans take note of a fresh breeze from the north.”
— Kerry Dexter, Folkwax
“Aces in writing, instrumental and vocal departments… a true collaborative effort from this West Coast amalgamation of Canadian and American bluegrass musicians, and worthy of repeated listenings and then some.” — Peter North, The Edmonton Journal
“The instrumentals on this CD are flawless and innovative whether the tune being played is a traditional or an original. Bash Bish Falls, written by the band's fiddle player Gregory Spatz shows off the lightning speed and laser precision The Jaybirds are capable of. — Victory Review
Years of European and North American tours,
four critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations...little wonder, the buzz around John Reischman and The Jaybirds continues to grow. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. To see their live show is to believe it. A genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor provides the backdrop to their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and newly arranged traditional material.
Hailing from the variegated ranks of the contemporary West Coast acoustic music scene, each of these 'birds has certainly earned his wings: the list of projects they have contributed to over the years is nothing less than a short list of acoustic power houses. Together, their seamless ensemble work makes for one of the freshest, most tasteful band-sounds on the folk and bluegrass circuit today.
