Of Note: 'Dear Sister' by The Claire Lynch Band

Of Note: 

'Dear Sister' 

The Claire Lynch Band

Most Saturdays, I end up going to 4:30 pm mass to get communion for my Mom and Dad, who are homebound.  I stop by my folks to visit afterwards and while there; inevitably, RFD TV is on the tube. One of their featured shows, Reno’s Old Time Music, which originates in Kentucky, happened to have a special guest this weekend: Claire Lynch. She’s a bluegrass enthusiast with her own band, one she formed in 2005 after parting ways with another established group, The Front Porch String Band.

I’m not sure when the episode originally aired, but Claire and her band performed three numbers on the show, each one a revelation. Her voice has that definite thin, reaching strain that works well for traditional blue grass, but there is a great deal of warmth to be found as well, making for a comforting, home-grown, natural, enchanting sound.  Equally impressive are the band’s arrangements and the interplay between fiddle and mandolin.  That said, it’s the songwriting I found most stellar, and I urge you to check out her stuff at her website: http://www.clairelynch.com/ , particularly her latest album, ‘Dear Sister’. 

  

In 2015, I hope The Claire Lynch Band will find its way to the Midwest (the Stoughton Opera House would be an ideal venue).  It would be a treat to see them live.  I also hope that this artist gets the attention she and her music so richly deserve.