 |
| Donna Ulisse - Breakin' Easy |
Breakin’ Easy
Donna Ulisse
By Charlton Wiggins
Labels can
often be misleading and especially in the musical landscape of the world we
live in today. What is called “country music” today has little resemblance to
the country music your parents grew up with. The same can be said of bluegrass
music. At one time the word “bluegrass” would conjure up images of banjo’s,
fiddles and high lonesome twang and yet the term today envelops instrumentation
and vocals that are much further reaching.
Donna
Ulisse is one such artist. Though much of her music makes full use of
traditional bluegrass tools, the sound of her songs seem to have reached
further than simple twang and high lonesomeness. Now with her tenth album, Breakin’ Easy, Donna’s songs are easy on the ears and can reach down into
your inner soul. You’ll find your foot tapping time and head nodding with the
rhythm from the outset. Throughout Breakin’ Easy Donna’s country roots shine
and meld beautifully with the bluegrass instrumentation.
“Without
Trouble Please” leads off the album and plays close to home with its mountain
bluegrass sound while “Back Home Feelin’ Again” feels like sitting on a front
porch of an evening with an autumn breeze. Throw in “Made For Each Other” and you
can image a family all sitting around that porch making beautiful mountain music.
By contrast
“Drive This Cold Out Of Me” has a sound reminiscent of Suzy Bogguss. Add to
that “Til I Fin’lly Let Go” and the cover of the Dottie West and Will West
penned “Here Comes My Baby Back Again” and Donna’s traditional country
influence is easily and wonderfully expressed.
A trio of
tunes call on a more traditional bluegrass influence. “We Are Strong,” “I’m In
A Hurry To Go Nowhere,” and “We’ve Got The Love Thing Figured Out” all rely heavily
on banjo, mandolin and fiddle.
With the
exception of the aforementioned Dottie West tune and “I’m In A Hurry To Go
Nowhere” all the songs on Breakin’ Easy were written or co-written by Donna.
The quality of the songwriting proves the Virginia native is worthy of the accolades
she has received, including the 2018 Songwriter of the Year from the Society
for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music Association (SPBGMA) and the 2016
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Songwriter of the Year.
Donna
Ulisse is a special talent, both with song writing and performing and if you
are not familiar with her you should be. Breakin’ Easy is the perfect album
to introduce you.
