Hugs and Misses

by Stephen Hug
 
�It�s Getting Better All The Time,� by Ronnie Bowman (Koch Records)�This is very nearly a perfect record. If you enjoy Americana music, you�ll love �It�s Getting Better All The Time.� Ronnie is a bluegrass musician and a songwriter (�It�s Getting Better All The Time� was a recent hit for Brooks & Dunn). He plays, he sings, he writes, he scores! His voice is smooth and expressive as is his playing. Radio programmers: don�t let the problems at Koch Records make you overlook this gem. Recommended cuts: All of them (except for, maybe, �Build a Little Playhouse,� which is too precious for these furry ears)! 3 3/4 bottle caps, nearly our highest rating!
 

 
�Stronger,� by Sonny Burgess (CPI Records)�Sonny Burgess strikes me as one of those �hat� country singers, the ones with pretty faces, maybe good voices, but are strictly entertainers, not artists. The CD has some nice moments, including �Jesus & Bartenders,� but I got the feeling I was being hustled�like he was trying to hit the right buttons. Plus, the recording is overproduced to these furry ears. Maybe when he�s through churning out this kind of nonsense he�ll pick up his guitar, take off the damn hat, and sing a song from his heart. 2 � bottle caps. Yuck. Sorry, Sonny.
 
�Tea with Leo,� by Breadfoot and Anna Phoebe (Jeeziepeezie Records)�Breadfoot is the name used by a guitar and banjo picker based in New York City, while Anna Phoebe is a London-based violinist. Not sure how the two got together, but she has apparently been working in New York City with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This is an instrumental 7 track CD (More of a CD EP�am I getting carried away with these abbreviations?) that contrasts Breadfoot�s unadorned guitar and banjo with Phoebe�s sweet violin (definitely not a �fiddle�). This �leather and lace� paring is worth a listen, though I got a little nervous in parts wondering if Breadfoot forgot to tune his guitar. 3 1/4 bottle caps. It will apparently be only available on-line through their websites.