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Now living in Brooklyn, New York, James
Reams grew-up with an appreciation of bluegrass and
old-timey music in his hometown of London, Kentucky. James'
father played with his band at square dances and in turn
greatly encouraged his son's own musical talents. A New York
City teacher by day, a stepfather and a bluegrass powerhouse
at all other times, lead singer and guitar player James put
his band The Barnstormers together back in 1994 and has
taken them to such great heights as 2003 nomination for the
IBMA Emerging-Artist of the Year award.
Bluegrass cult figure and banjo playing
Walter Hensley was born in Grundy, Virginia and like James
Reams grew-up in Eastern Kentucky. Later Walter moved to
Baltimore where he  became
a central figure in the bluegrass scene there. Walter went
on to play with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys
along with Charlie Waller. In 1959 Walter Hensley played
at the first bluegrass show at Carnegie Hall, New York.
Another important band of the day that Hensley played with
was Vernon McIntyre and the Appalachian Grass.
On Wild Card, Reams and Hensley have
teamed-up with The Barons of Bluegrass, namely Mark Farrell
(mandolin, fiddle and baritone vocals) who was part of the
infamous Major Contay and the Canebrake Rattlers, Jon Glik
(fiddle and mandolin) who had played with the likes of Del
McCoury and David Grisman, plus Carl Hayano contributing
rock-solid bass and tenor vocals.
Twelve tracks take us from the opening
"I Caught A Keeper" (Mike Dowling), through a
galloping and traditional "Hump Back Mule" all
the way to the "Kentucky Mountain" (Alton Delmore)
and then on the "Road to Columbus" (Bill Monroe).
On this musical journey we experience some scintillating
picking and vocals and Walter Hensley lays down his guitar
and picks up a guitar for "Where No Heart Goes Hungry"
(Tina Aridas/James Reams)  combined
with a thrilling fiddle break from Jon Glik. The late country
singer Johnny Paycheck collaborated with Aubrey Mayhew to
write "We're The Kind Of People That Make The Jukebox
Play" and here the guys give the number a
wonderful
bluegrass flourish.
Walter Hensley has written the title
track...the instrumental "Wild Card" with Hensley,
Farrell and Glik each taking awe-inspiring breaks on banjo,
mandolin and fiddle respectively. As a group of bluegrass
musicians, you couldn't wish for better than James Reams,
Walter Hensley And The Barons of Bluegrass and Wild Card
flaunts the richness of their music ability to
overload.
May 2006
www.jamesreams.com
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