Crowd Favorites – Claire Lynch

Underrated contemporary bluegrass queen Claire Lynch has been entertaining the masses since the early '80s, dabbling in Americana, country, and bluegrass with the kind of confidence that only an old soul can distribute equally. The appropriately titled Crowd Favorites collects ten Lynch classics culled from her five studio recordings for Rounder and four new versions of fan favorites, "Day That Lester Died," "Hills of Alabam," "Kennesaw Line," and "Wabash Cannonball." The latter three appeared in their original forms on the Front Porch String Band's Lines & Traces and its' eponymous follow-up, while "Lester" appeared on Mark Newton's Follow Me Back to the Fold album in 2000. Whether or not they needed to be remade is debatable, as these new versions don't stray enough from the originals to warrant any griping and may be the result of a contractual situation. That said, they sit nicely among Lynch classics like "Train Long Gone," "If Wishes Were Horses," and "Friends for a Lifetime." Fans of country greats like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Loretta Lynn: this is a great place to start. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide