Audio By Carbonatix
Despite their name, the Stanleytones are more than just a Stanley Brothers tribute band. On a fine debut album, Half a Dozen Heartaches, the Denver-area bluegrass quintet — guitarist and singer Gary Dark, mandolinist Sam Cohen, banjoist Jim Bertolin, fiddler Mark Weeg and bassist Drew Garrett — pay homage to Ralph and Carter with a respectful cover version of “Ridin’ That Midnight Train,” but they also include two Bill Monroe numbers (“Rocky Road Blues,” “Blue Moon of Kentucky”) and a song associated with Jimmy Martin (“Sophronie”). Throw in some old-time string-band music (“Bound to Ride,” “Black Mountain Rag”) and some solid originals (“Half a Dozen Heartaches,” “Weld County Breakdown,” “Tears I Cried for You”), and the result is a highly satisfying collection of traditional, high-lonesome bluegrass. (The Stanleytones perform Saturday, February 22, at Conor O’Neil’s in Boulder; see www.stanleytones.com.)
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
