Review: Big Sky Stringband
"Turning of the Wheel"

Self-released

By: Paul Barile




Big Sky Stringband has released an EP that is, to put it simply, broken in like your favorite shoes – but still fresh and impressive. This EP is something you want to show off to family and friends.

With beautifully paced instrumentals like “Sherman Hemsley,” BSS has shown they can jam with the best of them whole maintaining their Midwestern sense of humor. This is not to say Jay Stanek’s low and lonesome vocals aren’t pitch perfect for what this hardworking quintet records. His vocal turns are so adept it almost feels like an affectation, but there is a natural ease with which he sings.

These days a lot of bluegrass bands seem to be getting caught up in either satirizing the genre (Hayseed Dixie) or reinventing it. BSS is satisfied with just sitting back and playing it.

Chris Meier’s mandolin is at home resting between the bumps from Dick Mallory’s fretless bass. Brandon Cochran’s electric guitar offers flavor without overwhelming the listener. It should be noted that this is no small task. A less experienced band might default to letting the guitar be the focus because that is what we hear so often in modern music; it is what our ear has become accustomed to hearing.

As I mentioned, “Turning of the Wheel” is an EP, meaning we only get a sampling of six cuts (three of which are named after people; Eric Heywood, Sherman Hemsley, and Rich Koz).

In a perfect world, BSS would release more of these sonic nuggets. The songwriting is smart and funny without being obvious. The arrangements are not clever; they are just compelling. “Turning of the Wheel” is so obviously Midwestern in its ethic and its warmth.

The song “Rich Koz” is a homage to all things Chicago-by-way-of-Berwyn, including but not limited to a shout out to the Son of Svengoolie and Cellozzi & Ettleson. His references about the politicians feel kind of cheeky, but his homage to Walter Payton (including a nod to the Superbowl Shuffle) is priceless. He also invokes the television commercials we grew up with, including Victory Auto Wreckers and the Empire Carpet Guy.

All of this is done with tongue planted firmly in cheek, but the song never suffers for it. The instrumentation is flawless and the harmonies are peerless. If you are from anywhere near Chicago and are between 20 and 70 years old, you will want to play this cut for all of your family and friends.

Standout Track “Rich Koz”

Big Sky Stringband Biography

The seeds of the Big Sky Stringband were planted in 1996 during a chance meeting between Jay Stanek and Chris Meier at an open mic night. After a year of acoustic music together, the two formed Kai Mera, an eclectic pop/rock band with many influences. After signing with Hammerhead Records for their self-titled debut album, the band continued to play diverse and entertaining live shows to a large group of loyal fans at the University of Illinois, garnering Best Local Band honors from Champaign's alternative weekly, The Octopus.

Jay and Chris formed Big Sky Stringband with Dave Johnston (Bluegrassholes, Yonder Mountain String Band) and Ken Wilson (Bluegrassholes) as a sideproject in 1997. With the departure of Dave to Colorado to form Yonder Mountain, Chris and Jay dissolved Kai Mera in 1998 to focus on Big Sky's stripped down roots sound. The duo recorded a 10-song, self-titled, acoustic album in 2001, and shortly thereafter, the band's line-up was expanded to five pieces with the addition of Chris' bass-playing father-in-law, Dick Mallory, and his brother-in-law, Matthew Mallory, on lead guitar, along with Bob Bechstein (Daphne Willis & Co.) on drums.

In 2005, Big Sky Stringband released Flyin' Blind, a live album featuring 12 original compositions and the band's distinctive take on 2 traditional songs. The collection highlights the energy of a Big Sky show and features the looseness that defines the Big Sky sound.

In 2006 the band added Brandon Cochran (Moonrays) on lead guitar and vocals to replace Matthew Mallory who had relocated to Arizona to further pursue his education. Mark Sensor (Outlaw Family Band, Super Mini Trio) also briefly joined the band on drums at this time, with Zach Malasto replacing him in early 2007.

In February 2007, the band unveiled Turning of the Wheel, Big Sky's first proper studio release. The six-song EP—recorded at SHIRK Music & Sound in just four, four-hour sessions—includes five Meier/Stanek compositions and a Brandon Cochran-penned instrumental. Commonly refered to as the "stalker album" by fans because of the many proper names used as song subjects and titles (Eric Heywood, Rich Koz, Sherman Hemsley), the EP was released in conjunction with the band's headlining spot at the WXRT Local Anesthetic Live Show at Cubby Bear Chicago.

You can find out more about Big Sky Stringband at: www.bigskystringband.com