I‘d credit the shivers to the chilly morning we’re experiencing in my slice of paradise except for this: similar quivers occurred last week, the week before that, and also during the sweltering sauna that was early and mid-August, all while listening to this particular album from bluegrass luminary Rebecca Frazier. There’s a moment in the first track, “High Country Road Trip,” for instance, when her vocals take off for the clouds, that takes possession of one’s senses. It’s intense.
Frazier made her bones with the bluegrass band Hit & Run in the early and mid-2000s, when it won the Rockygrass (2002), Telluride (2003) and SPBGMA (2005) band competitions. In 2006, she became the first woman to grace the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. She released a solo album way back in 2001, a few with Hit & Run in the years that followed, and then the well-regarded solo turn When We Fall in 2013.
Boarding Windows in Paradise is her latest album, obviously, and first since When We Fall, with the years off between the two due to her desire to be present for her children. On her website bio, she explains, “I focused on being a supportive mom, playing select shows, and refining my own craft. I went into a deep dive with my writing and my guitar—learning songs and legendary solos for inspiration—doing that kind of introspective work that just takes time and you can’t do when you’re traveling all the time.”
The wait has been well worth it. Produced by Bill Wolf, whose past credits include everyone from the Grateful Dead to David Grisman to Tony Rice to Doc Watson to, yes, Frazier on When We Fall, Boarding Windows transcends its bluegrass origins to become an all-encompassing sonic odyssey that’s a guaranteed good time.
Her cover of “Borderline” finds her accompanied by Virginia-based band Love Canon, who specialize in transforming ‘80s favorites into bluegrass delights. “I remember hearing this song on the car radio when I was a little kid,” she says in the press release. “Madonna made a huge impression on me and lots of young girls; she was a symbol of self-power.” I can’t speak to her “girl power” appeal, of course, but as someone who enjoyed Madonna’s albums during my college years (1983-87), I can speak to their wide appeal—even my stoner pals enjoyed them. As such, the first strains of “Borderline” unearth long-buried memories of those years, from hanging out in dorm rooms to hitting various clubs in Happy Valley, aka State College, Pa., where Madonna provided the soundtrack on the dance floor; it helps, I’m sure, that I was also beginning to explore bluegrass, country and folk music about the same time. It induces a surfeit of flashbacks, in other words.
In addition to Love Canon, the album features such heavy hitters as Barry Bales, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Béla Fleck and Josh Swift. Yet, no matter who’s behind her, Frazier’s vocals flutter high one moment and soar higher the next, then glide back to earth, while her guitar takes flight, as well. “Make Hay While the Moon Shines” is a great example; it chugs along like a train heading up a mountain, just about, while Frazier’s voices crescendos even higher than the natural satellite. It’s a pure delight. “Train Is Moving” is another whirlwind wonder—but the same, truly, can be said of all the songs.
(For whatever reason, Bandcamp isn’t giving me the ability to embed the album. It can be purchased here.)
The tracks:
The Old Grey Cat 