Joe Page: Alaska Mando

Sing Out! The Folk Song Magazine, Autumn, 2007 by Stacy Philip

JOE PAGE Alaska Mando Joe Page

Joe Page, the dean of Alaskan mandolinists and raconteur of legendary proportions in the Alaskan acoustic music scene has produced his first album. It's an all instrumental outing featuring his own compositions on eleven of the twelve cuts. (A reworking of the theme music from the spaghetti western Hang 'Em High is the lone cover.)

All pieces are in the "new acoustic/bluegrass" style with feels ranging from jazz to Latin to ballad and beyond. The accompanists are given a generous share of the spotlight. Expect lots of great licks and a couple of neat retunings from Greg Booth on slide resonator guitar. Angela Oudean (of the rising stars Bearfoot Bluegrass band) demonstrates command of the modern bluegrass milieu and is worthy of national recognition. Mick Mickelson, Joel Kadarauch and Dan Booth also lend solid support on guitars and bass, respectively. But Page is the star here. His solos reveal a mature, confident, and solid rhythmic approach and the ability to compose effective settings for a modern string band. Page delivers hot mandolin playing with a sense of fun and purpose. Tunes include "Liberty Creek", "Two Pie Garage," "Macho Hairpins" and nine others.--SP