randykohrs.com

REVIEW: CASHBOX MAGAZINE 4-07-07

Singer-Songwriter Randy Kohrs delivers a masterpiece in his new album Old Photographs. Folks this cd debuting at #19 on the Cashbox Bluegrass charts is Grammy® material.

Randy is one hell of a songwriter and this album showcases his talent. All 12 tracks are like diamonds in the rough on this cd. Now I’ve heard of genre bending but track 6 stands way out front “Can You Give Me A Drink” not only combines gospel bluegrass but black gospel too. This track will have you jumping to your feet. This is definitely a single release somewhere. If you never thought you would hear such a combination you have it here and believe ole J.D., I’ll stand by this track, its fantastic. Other tracks include “Rockwell’s Gold”, “Old Photograph”, “Two Boys from Kentucky”,and the more country oriented sounds on “White Ring” and “She Ain’t Coming Back”. I hope to be hearing a lot more from Randy Kohrs. This is a truly great artist, not from the Nashville Cookie Cutter Society of Sound Alike Rich Cowboys. All you major guys learn from a pro like Randy Kohrs. This cd is real honest down to earth music, the way its meant to be heard.

JDH 5 STARS

REVIEW: by Joe Ross May 2, 2007

Singularly impressive all-around talent
Well-known Nashville musician Randy Kohrs’ fifth solo album project since 2001 also marks his debut as one of the “new tradition” on the Rural Rhythm label. It’s a noble nod to one of the masters of the acoustic music scene, and “Old Photograph” is a brilliant testimonial to Kohrs’ artistic craftsmanship. Randy’s work continues to showcase his singularly impressive talents as producer, songwriter, instrumentalist, vocalist, and engineer. If there were an award for “Best All-Around Musician,” Randy would get my vote!

Randy’s participation as a session musician on over 500 albums has emphasized his expert virtuosity. He’s also toured with the likes of
Hank Williams III, Tom T. Hall, Holly Dunn, Hal Ketchum, Hank Thompson, Continental Divide, John Cowan Band, and Dolly Parton. His talent helped him find comfortable niches with country, bluegrass and even some folk acts. And his presentation on “Old Photograph” demonstrates his continuing affinity for many genres. While the Iowa native who relocated to Tennessee in 1994 can play all the bluegrass instruments if he wants to, Kohrs’ international fame is primarily due to his fine resophonic guitar work. For the other exceptional instrumental work on “Old Photograph” he enlists support from buds like Scott Vestal (banjo), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Jim Hurst (guitar), Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Jay Weaver (bass), and many others. In 2006, Randy formed his own band, “The Lites.” Three cuts early in this set (Rockwell’s Gold, Lena Mae, Two Boys From Kentucky) are most representative of his band’s sound with the inclusion, to varying degree, of his young bandmates Scott Haas (banjo), Andrew Crawford (guitar), Ashley Brown (fiddle), and Aaron Ramsey (mandolin, bass).

Whether singing country, bluegrass or gospel, Randy gives us a distinctive, brawny delivery throughout his considerable range. For a softer edge, he’s more lyrical than vigorous with “Don’t Let Your Wounded Heart Come Between Us” (sung as a duet with Rhonda Vincent), “White Ring” (straight-ahead acoustic country), and “Shallow Grave” (sung and played solo to close the album). There are some interesting guests who make minor appearances in the mix. Melinda Doolittle, an American Idol contestant, sings high harmony on “Can You Give Me A Drink.” A member of MuzikMafia, Shannon Lawson co-penned “Who’s Goin’ With Me” with Del Gray, and she sings tenor on that song. Chris Wood’s percussion appears on three tracks. Many other guests like Clay Hess, Carl Jackson, Stephen Mougin, Darrin Vincent, and Don Rigsby stopped by Randy’s Slackkey Studios to provide a vocal or instrumental track or two.

I’ve already gone on record as saying that the consummate Randy Kohrs is a deserving member of the contemporary bluegrass elite. His exciting stylistic presentation is full of both tang and twang. His songs have thoughtful substance and gripping delivery. Whether racing or reflective, Kohrs’ music on “Old Photograph” will stand as another triumphant milestone and superlative effort for one of the most happening musicians in Nashville. (Joe Ross)

As seen in the Nashville Scene

RANDY KOHRS & THE LITES It’s taken Randy Kohrs a little while to settle in under all those hats he wears—engineer, producer, singer-songwriter and hot Dobro picker—but his new album, Old Photograph, makes a strong case that, even as he continues to work as one of the city’s busiest session players, he’s gotten ’er done. The title track and one other tune are from outside writers, but Kohrs had a hand (sometimes the only one) in all the rest, and he has a well-developed ability to craft a distinctive melody. And while the project features contributions by everyone from longtime ’grass-and-more colleagues such as Scott Vestal and Jim Hurst, to Idol contestant Melinda Doolittle and the MuzikMafia’s Shannon Lawson, it also has room for Kohrs’ regular band, The Lites—a set of youngsters who can hold their own with the big dogs on disc and keep it loose and lively onstage. (randykohrs.net) —JON WEISBERGER

ROANOKE TIMES

7.27.05
…”Meanwhile, FiddleFest (today through Saturday) will bring in musicians from the bluegrass/country scene. Groups like the Grascals and the Randy Kohrs Band have won the praise of country superstar Dolly Parton, who has recorded duets with both.”

MACON TELEGRAPH

Randy Kohrs Concert Review
Maggie Large on 6.25.05

Before I get to the meat of this review, I wanted to talk a little bit about the venue, the Douglass Theatre. How awesome is it that we have this well-preserved piece of local history here in Macon? It doesn’t hurt that it’s a great room acoustically. There’s no pesky cigarette smoke to get in your eyes. It’s a friendly, well-lit place, and if you want, you can buy beer and wine. That aside, I truly enjoyed Friday night’s bluegrass show. Local talent Redline Express, who hail from Jones County, proved adept at traditional bluegrass stylings from jaunty instrumentals to plaintive ballads. I especially liked their take on a Gillis Brothers tune, “Room at the Top of the Stairs.” The packed house was appreciative, whistling and clapping for every solo. But the true star of the evening was dobro player Randy Kohrs, who played with Monroe, Ga. band Lost Horizon. This Nashville player (I believe he’s originally from Iowa) has toured with Dolly Parton and played on his friend Dierks Bentley’s latest, Modern Day Drifter. He’s got a gorgeous, expressive tenor that easily handles a glissando. But his playing is more expressive than his singing by half, which is saying a lot. And this guy can write a great song. Triple threat alert!Lost Horizon is a talented group. Husband and wife team Brian and Maggie Stephens (on guitar and upright bass, respectively) effectively slid between traditional bluegrass tunes like “Nine Pound Hammer” and more contemporary ones, like songs by Flying Burrito Brothers and Jim Croce. Kohrs’s own songs like “Passion’s Price” and “I’m Torn” let him showcase his heartstring-tugging vocals. “The bitter, cynical bluegrass songs are probably my favorite,” Kohrs said at one point during the show. “They seem to hold the most heart, to me.”During Kohrs’ song “Hurry Back Jesus”, the woman next to me began to sob. It’s a funny thing about music. Sometimes it can make us forget our burdens, but other times it brings them home more powerfully.

SING OUT MAGAZINE

Review of “Im Torn” (Lonesome Day Records)

This is high-powered contemporary bluegrass (or even “light country”) that kicks off strong with the title cut. The driving tune sets the pace for the remaining 10 songs. Although he is a multi-instrumentalist, Kohrs is primarily known for his Dobro playing. He is joined here by a host of versatile players, including Dolly Parton who duets with Kohrs on “It Looked Good on Paper.” Written by Carl Jackson and Pam Tillis, this is one of only two songs on the album in which Kohrs did not have a hand composing. Many will recognize Kohrs from his previous performance work with Parton.Among the dozen and a half musicians who rotate lending their talents are guitarist Cody Kilby, banjo picker Scott Vestal, Josh Williams on mandolin and fiddlers Tim Crouch and Shaunna Larkin-Kohrs, the latter of whom also contributes viola work and some harmony vocals. Other guest vocalists are Carl Jackson and Don Rigsby.There is not a dull cut here; this is a lively CD that swings on the up side of the music. “Handmade Nails and Homemade Love” adds novel lyrics to an age-old theme. The up-tempo “Hurry Back Jesus” is an innovative “moving and shaking” Gospel number that is another album highlight; Kohrs co-wrote the song with Susan Hill, who collaborated with him to write several of the cuts. The mood takes a turn at slow and nostalgic on “Fifty Good Years,” while “That’s What I’ve Learned (from Lovin’ You)” should be a contender for steady airplay.I’m Torn, demonstrates with knowledge, flair and confidence the expertise of Randy Kohrs. Not only is he at the center of all as lead performer and primary contributing composer, he produced the recording and rode shotgun on the engineering and mixing. A splendid job all told.

NO DEPRESSION MAGAZINE

Review of “I’m Torn” (Lonesome Day Records)
By: Jon Weisberger

Randy Kohrs is a talented, distinctive dobroist and singer who’s appeared on a growing list of albums by bluegrass, Americana and mainstream country artists alike. For many musicians, that might be enough, but Kohrs has a bigger role in mind, and his third solo album finds him not only playing and singing lead, but producing, engineering, and writing or co-writing almost all of the material. It’s a bold move, but in most respects, Kohrs pulls it off with distinction.

Though Kohrs is a broad-ranging musician – his last album consisted of vintage honky-tonk – he sticks pretty much to bluegrass on “I’m Torn” with the exception of a classic-sounding acoustic country duet with Dolly Parton on the Carl Jackson and Pam Tillis divorce story “It Looked Good on Paper” and the bittersweet “Fifty Good Years.” Helping out are two different sets of musicians, one consisting of players familiar to anyone keeping an eye on the bluegrass scene, the other of up-and-coming youngsters who one suspects, will be familiar soon, including the superb Patton Wages on banjo and mandolin phenom Aaron Ramsey.

Kohrs has always had a unique melodic sense and edgy tone to his playing, and there’s plenty of that here. Those who have heard him only as a harmony singer will be pleased to find his leads are strong and expressive.

Given the time he’s devoted to these aspects, it will perhaps come as no surprise that his songwriting – much of it done with Susan Hill – has yet to reach the same level. There are some well-crafted melodies and neat structures among the album’s nine originals, but there are also some rough edges in the lyrics to several of the songs. But Kohrs’ conviction and the sympathetic support of his accompanists are enough to carry past them.

POWER SOURCE MAGAZINE

Review of “Im Torn” (Lonesome Day Records)Lonesome Day Records really knows how to pick their artists and crank out the better records. This includes Randy Kohrs and his “I’m Torn” CD. This is about as electric bluegrass as one can get, and Randy has no hesitation whatsoever to carry on the tradition of American music. He’s only complimented even more with the likes of Dolly Parton on the swing ballad “It Looked Good On Paper” which allows these two wonderful vocalists to blend in well together. Coming across sounding a bit like Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs combined, it’s difficult to think this guy hasn’t had radio success in the mainstream format. I wouldn’t hold my breath for Randy to have huge success on the box, even though he deserves it more than most these days. Hey Radio! If you’re reading, take the time to listen to this project and get a clue what true country is all about! If you get this album in your hands, take particular attention to the tearful “Fifty Good Years.” By listening to this song, you want to make it a point to ensure your marriage makes it to the 50 mark on the calendar. Randy has everything it takes to make it to the next step in his career. I just hope that someone gives him the chance to do so!

CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS ASSOCIATION REVIEW

I’m Torn (Lonesome Day Records)Randy Kohrs has been a featured resonator guitar player on many bluegrass and country records and most recently has been part of Dolly Parton’s backup touring band. His dobro playing has a soulful, bluesy vocal quality and it blends seamlessly with the sound of the other instruments and supports wonderful vocals on many recent albums. In this recording, Randy has been able to focus on putting together songs and instrumental settings that show his artistic heart and soul. Since Randy is primarily an instrumentalist, it’s no surprise that the instrumental mix is vivid and strong. The pulse is propelled by the Pat Wages’ or Scott Vestal’s banjo playing and Cody Kilby’s strong rhythm guitar and sparkling leads and fills. Josh Williams plays mandolin and Randy’s wife, Shaunna, sings and adds fiddle to the band sound. Most of the songs were written by Randy and have reflections on relationships and choices in life. Several are the traditional bluegrass of themes of family and home: “Take Me Back” is the old home place and “Fifty Good Years” is a lament on the loss of a lifetime love. “Handmade Nails and Homemade Love” is a triumph of a family’s home over the powers that put highways through rural farms. “I See How You Are” puts Randy’s dobro playing to the forefront as he spins the tale of a lover’s departure. Dolly Parton sings a duet with Randy on “It Looked Good On Paper,” a classic song of a love ending in the coldness of a courtroom. Randy’s voice has the edge of experience on the hard-driving songs combined with an engaging tenderness on the softer ballads. As Randy states in the liner notes, “I wanted listeners to know this CD is really everything I am.” It’s a stellar combination of powerful heartfelt vocals, pulsating rhythms in the bluegrass tradition and well worth seeking out for your CD player.

FOLKWORLD

Review of “I’m Torn” (Lonesome Day Records)Randy Kohrs is torn. The sought-after studio musician from Iowa is best known for performing with Dolly Parton and playing one of the the hottest dobros around in bluegrass, country and americana music but Randy is a master on different stringed instruments. He is also a highly original songwriter and a passionate vocalist, examining the entire spectrum of human emotions. Randy is staying true to the traditional bluegrass sound, though not sounding that much anachronistic. In his own words: I wanted to make a CD that would relate to the sixteen year old fans without upsetting the delicate balance that the first and second generation have come to know and love about bluegrass music. Another fresh take on the bluegrass genre – aged but not torn.