CMT Blog: Archive

Picture a diesel locomotive barrelling its way across the continent, mighty in its rhythm and unstoppable in its momentum - you may now have an idea of the musical force that Michael Cleveland packs. When he bears down on that fiddle, or chops out a deep groove, it's hard not to feel like you're riding that journey with him as the engine roars and the tracks disappear underneath you. It's for that reason he has guested on albums by Vince Gill, Rhonda Vincent and many others.

Michael's fifth record, Leavin' Town (Rounder), places the emphasis more on his band and the vocals of Todd Rakestraw. There are still some burning instrumentals, including a fantastic "Jerusalem Ridge," but this album appeals to a broader audience -- not just fans of bluegrass fiddle, but all bluegrass music fans will be happy with this record. Rakestraw has a fine bluegrass voice, very much in the vein of Dan Tyminski. Michael is never far from the action, either ripping a hot solo break, or chopping a rhythm while Jesse Brock takes a fine lead. These two have a dynamic partnership and really play off each other well - you can hear them quoting each other and having fun on "Kickin' Back" for example, perhaps the fastest instrumental recorded this year! This is a great bluegrass album - fast pickin' and great singing, one of my favorites of the year.