Dead on the Scene Revival: A tribute
cd2002
$14.95 + $3.00 shipping.

In memoriam to:
Jerry Garcia, John Duffey and Courtney Johnson

Dead on the Scene Revival: A Tribute songs:

Review: Bill Wagner, Staff Reviewer for Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. The Sceldom Scene. The Newgrass Revival. The Grateful Dead. Old and In The Way. Anyone who has listened to or has played bluegrass music in the last thirty-five years has felt the impact of those four bands. You may or may not like that fact, depending on which side of the traditional vs. progress argument you favor, but you may have to acknowledge the reality.
                To acknowledge it is to recognize that when you hear a jam-grass band stretching out or accenting a tune with an old rhythmic punctuation, you’re hearing the legacy of the Dead And The Revival. Or that when you hear internal moving chords and harmonic colorings on the latest Alison Krauss CD or hear traditional tunes tempered with folk and urban stylings, you’re hearing the influence of the Scene. Or that when you hear such standards as “Wait A Minute.” “Friend Of The Devil,” “Midnight Moonlight” or “This Heart Of Mine,” among many dozen others, performed in countless bars and festival jams, you’re hearing the impact of all four.
                This CD, then, a live performance collecting eighteen songs now and forever linked to one or more of the four, is just such an acknowledgement, one offered from the positive end, from the ranks of the true believers. Actually, it is more than an acknowledgement. It is a homage, a thank you, a love letter, - or as the title says simply, “A Tribute.”
                That is the offering of The Satyr Hill Band is not surprising. I’ve been enjoying the creativity and showmanship of Hawk, Chaz, Tom, Rick and Keith for years now, since the first time I heard the current lineup, and can say that few groups have taken these four bands and their era to heart any more so than they. Any show of theirs will feature any number (and potentially all) of the songs presented here. Any mention of the four to them will return a response bordering on the reverential. In other words, the impact has been thorough.
                So now we’re thinking, “Uh, oh, one of those revivalists, recreationist bands,” like those Beatle tribute shows that feature mop tops and collarless jackets. Not even close. This tribute is not about note-for-note solos or arrangements. Bands such as the Dead, Scene, O&IW and Revival weren’t about copying. They were abut freeing the music from old confines and about taking what was good in the old and trying it in a new way, filtering their own experience and ideas  It is that ethos, above all else, that The Satyr Hill Band captures so well here. Yeah, you’ll hear the occasional borrowed lick, a reference to a vocal line, a fragment of the original arrangement, all as points of orientation and worship, but you’ll also hear these tunes given fresh and entertaining treatments, twists distinctly those of Satyr Hill. I think The Dead, The Scene, The Revival and O&IW would be pleased.

IN THE GROVE
cd2001
$14.95 + $3.00 shipping.

Music taken from various musical genres gives a pleasing, balanced performance showing this group's dedication to a "tight" musical presentation.

Satyr Hill's
"In The Grove"
nominated for 2003
Wammie Award

 In The Grove songs:
Click on underlined songs to hear sample.

Review: Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, June 2002: The Satyr Hill Band is one of Baltimore's premier bluegrass groups and can be regularly encountered at gigs in and around the region. "In The Grove" is the band's debut recording and features 15 adeptly crafted performances spanning the musical gamut from the traditional to the contemporary and blended with a dose of originality. The band comfortably tackles each selection with zeal and enthusiasm no matter whether it is an old favorite like "Blue Ridge Cabin Home," or the more contemporary "Song For Life" and "High Sierra." Of special interest are several original pieces including "The Friendship Ring" and " Downsize," and a pair of instrumentals, "Plum Grove" and "Harp Seal Lament." From start to finish, "In The Grove" is delightfully entertaining and imparts a burning desire to hear more from The Satyr Hill Band. - Les McIntyre