From Amazon.com

Outstanding action-packed eclectic bluegrass

 Album Rating: (5 of 5 stars)

Review Comments: When Blue land (from the Slovak and Czech Republics) presents Harley Allen's "Simple Life," the message provides some insight as to why bluegrass has gained such appeal throughout much of Europe. The genre's hard-driving high lonesome sound and evocative substance have many European followers, and its strong entertainment value is appreciated in an otherwise hectic and complicated world today. When long-time supporter Bill Clifton sings his classic "Little Whitewashed Chimney," the message really hits home.

The European World of Bluegrass (EWOB) is an annual 3-day event held in May in The Netherlands, and it's obviously a homecoming for bands and fans alike. This outstanding 2-CD album is a sampler of many different European and American groups that have appeared at the festival from 1998-2007....showcasing an eclectic range with such bands as Belgium's Rawhide (a 1998 rendition of "The Typewriter") to Italy's Red Wine (a 2007 cut of "Winter's Come and Gone"). Produced by Liz Meyer, it was no easy task to chose from the available live cuts from nearly 200 different groups representing 24 different countries. The action packed album turned out with 48 cuts (eight that are instrumentals), and no band appears twice. Most European groups typically have solid banjo, guitar, mandolin and bass, and it's particularly a treat when a band also complements their overall bluegrass sound with a fiddle and/or resophonic guitar.

While some vocals may be a little more difficult to understand with European accents, they are all sung with considerable enthusiasm and emotion. From France, Springfield's quartet of "Paul and Silas" has all the energy of the Stanley Brothers' rendition. One can only imagine what Footprints' rendition of "Nazaj u mesto" is about as that original composition is sung in their own Slovenian language, just as The Stroatklinkers do in Gronings (a dialect of Dutch) when they present "Zoltkamp" with a melodic accordion line played by Henk Bloupot. Thus, we see that European bluegrass has evolved to the point that the music's traditional roots have been embraced, and branches have now inspired songs and instrumentals capturing uniquely original and personal feelings from Europe. Propelling his band with his homemade mandolin and heartfelt vocalizing, Jussi Syren (from Finland) sings his self-penned "Life of a Steel Driving Man" in much the same way that Lester Flatt or Bill Monroe probably would have decades before.

It's especially gratifying to see that European's best can hold their own alongside their American counterparts. The two CDs (with over two hours of music) offer much variety from frenetic instrumentals to lonesome ballads, solo renditions to quartet harmonies. EWOB recognizes top bands annually, and many of the top award-winning groups are featured -- Relief, Mideando String Quartet, 4-Wheel Drive, Carmel Sheerin & The Ravens, and Petr Brandejs Band. More than just a novelty or curiosity, "10 Years of European World of Bluegrass" captures a love of this genre, as well as the originality and innovation that have taken seed in the fertile soil across the pond. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)