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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 3, 1993                   TAG: 9304030043
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: C10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Seth Williamson
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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BLUEGRASS

Copper Creek Records of Roanoke is a cultural good citizen not just of Virginia but of the entire traditional music world. Besides new artists, Gary Reid's label has made available re-issues and rare recordings from the Country Gentlemen, the Stanley Brothers and other classic bands, good music which otherwise might have languished in obscurity.

A recent Copper Creek release is "Wild Turkey Rag" (CCCD) by Dick Kimmel. Someone who doesn't know Kimmel might wonder, "What kind of thing does this guy have with turkeys?" His mid-'70s old-time band was the Wild Turkey String Band; he's shown with a turkey on the back of this CD; and there are turkey calls on two of the cuts, including the "Wild Turkey Rag."

In fact, Kimmel has a Ph.D. in wildlife science and a day job as a wildlife biologist in Minnesota, where he is the state's specialist in wild turkeys. He is clearly a man who thinks a lot of and about turkeys.

This is a mainstream bluegrass outing with an old-time tang provided by Kimmel's occasional clawhammer banjo. There are no turkeys in the flock of sidemen, which is headlined by former Bill Monroe banjoist Bob Black and tenor Glenn Zankey of the Bluegrass Patriots. Kimmel is a solid if not electrifying mandolinist, with a pleasant light baritone.

"The Caledonia Jake" is a minor-key instrumental featuring Bob Black's slick chromatic banjo (a jake is a yearling turkey). Kimmel's bluesy slow version of the Webb Pierce hit "I'm Walking the Dog" makes a nice contrast to the breakneck speed at which most bands take this song.

All in all, a pleasing CD of mainstream grass.

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