The Ladles - Springville Sessions

Like every other musical act, folk trio the Ladles had almost all of their 2020 scheduled live performances canceled due to the pandemic. They were however able to pull off their planned three-week residency at the Springville Center for the Arts in Springville, NY, and took advantage of that opportunity to record this album full of sublime gems. The band is an acoustic trio consisting of guitarist Katie Martucci, banjo player Caroline Kuhn and fiddle player Lucia Pontoniere, and all three sing so artful three-part harmonies abound throughout. On "Nobody Knew" the three create a choir that must surely have heaven's angels shaking their haloed heads in wonderment, and on "Sunset Pink" their blended voices are as multi-hued as the colorful evening sky they sing about. Some songs, like "Thank You," have the instruments dancing with the voices, while other cuts like "Sugarcoat" find the instruments laying back and creating a gentle melody for the voices to soar over. That's an indicator of how the ladies know just exactly how much is enough, and their use of "space" in the arrangements is part of what makes this set so stunning. Springville Sessions is the perfect accompaniment for a relaxed morning or eve as listeners are sure to be charmed as they enjoy this most natural of mood elevators.

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