After several albums for
Rounder, Ms. Vincent has left that label to start her own. There is no drop off of
quality --Rhonda still has one of the great voices in Bluegrass, and the album is
nicely recorded and mixed by the well known Bil Vorn Dick. While this disc is
not as "grassy" as her first couple of records for Rounder, it's definitely Bluegrass
even if some of the songs have a more contemporary flavor. Her band (Hunter
Berry, Mickey Harris, etc) serves her well, and a few guests join her on several
tracks: Dolly Parton and Little Roy Lewis among them. The hard working
Vincent has certainly established herself as one of the top entertainers in the field,
sticking to honest, straight ahead Bluegrass, and making all the right career
moves. Our favorite cuts here are IN THE GARDEN BY THE FOUNTAIN,
WHEN THE BLOOM IS OFF THE ROSE, GOD IS WATCHING and a fine
treatment of BACK ON MY MIND --but other listeners will have other favorites,
as the material is consistent and well chosen. (We don't know whether it was
Rhonda's decision or someone else's, but the album is priced lower than most
new front line records --maybe the start of a welcome trend).
$ 12.50
