Little by Little
Though firmly rooted in bluegrass, the Stevens Sisters--Beth and April--don't get bogged down by tradition on their second Rounder effort. Sure, they can harmonize like a female version of theLouvin Brothers, but their material is wonderfully varied, from theJudds-like "Walk On By" to the jazzy "Love Every Time." (And they do wonders withLynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone.") Even their more traditional numbers, likeDolly Parton's lovely ballad "I'll Never Say Goodbye" (which features Dolly herself on harmony vocals), have a certain freshness that keeps them from being museum pieces. Backed by an all-star band that includesSam Bushon mandolin and fiddle, Dobro playersRob Ickesand Al Perkins, bassist Byron House, and drummer Larry Atamanuik, the Tennessee-born sisters play the kind of tasteful acoustic country music that was once heard on mainstream radio stations. Those days appear to be over, and acts like the Stevens Sisters are only likely to be heard at bluegrass festivals and on the Grand Ole Opry. Nothing wrong with that, but music this good deserves a wider audience.--David Hill