John Reischman: New Time and Old Acoustic – Song List: Suzanne’s Journey, The Coyote Trail, Horses of Dorrico, Cascadia, Sarafina, Rosco’s Ramble, The Old Steeple, Crescent Moon, Salt Spring, Ballyhooly/Uncle John Nyhan, Dandy Long Legs, Sugar in the Gourd, Old Road to Kingham, Happy Hollow.
John Reischman has been a master mandolin player with influences in bluegrass, new age, jazz, and contemporary acoustic. His playing is melodic and appealing, and he leaves spaces for the melody to evolve without the constant changing of notes and rhythms. John usually records with his group, the Jaybirds, but the pandemic gave him the freedom and fortitude to develop his own original songs and add additional players with their own nuances and embellishments. John wryly calls his music new time and old acoustic, a play on old time and new acoustic, but the refinement of the old time is displayed in the two traditional tunes in the collection. “Sugar in the Gourd” begins with solo mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist adding bass and harmony mandolin, and Nick Hornbuckle’s banjo and Chris Jones’ fluid guitar playing. Trent Freeman on fiddle and Quinn Bachand and guitar appear on several songs, and their solos with John on “Happy Hollow” add to the joyous romp in the song.
John currently lives in Canada, but he spent part of his life in the Bay Area with the Tony Rice Unit and the Good Ol’ Persons band. He invited Molly Tuttle, Alex Hargreaves, Allison DeGroot, and Max Schwartz, four of California’s new generation of musicians to play his classic song, “Salt Spring” and the group proves yet again why this is a jam standard. The group also plays John’s “Suzanne’s Journey” that John wrote while in Ireland, and its melody has a delightful lilt that brings dancing in green grass to mind. Other songs that have that delightful bounce are “Ballyhooly/Uncle John Nyhan” and “Old Road to Kingham.”
“Sarafina,” named for John’s granddaughter, has a gentle lullaby tone enhanced with Mike Witcher’s dobro playing. “Dandy Long Legs” was inspired by his daughter’s name for the spider and members of the Jaybirds give the song a bouncy rhythm that mimics a spider’s hurried journey. Other songs touch on other Reischman favorite activities: hiking in the woods, walks with the dog and friendly horses in New Zealand. Regardless of the title or circumstance, John Reischman’s collection of songs have an outstanding blend of melody and manner; old and new times in the acoustic universe!