Search - Druha Trava :: Good Morning Friend

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Alan R. Tower | Spokane WA USA | 02/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dobry den. Good Morning, in Czech. Why Czech? Because this is a Czech band with a gutsy lead singer who has rather completely eradicated his accent on English tunes. A country/rock blend with a Czech soul. When you have music like this, you come closer to having everything. And even if you have a zillion CDs and there's just no time to listen to them all, expect to wander back to Druha Trava for a listen. Ballads, grit, and a fine live show if you get a chance to catch one."

Confidence and composure with music that knows few boundarie

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 01/12/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 46:18 -- Czech this out! The international appeal of bluegrass music is far-reaching, and there are a number of fine groups in the Czech Republic who can relate to the acoustic nature, themes and broad appeal of the genre. It does seem that the further a group is from Appalachia, the more eclectic and independent their musical amalgamation becomes. Druha Trava (translation: "Second Grass") provides an enthusiastic grassified spin to tunes from Johnny Cash, Mark Knopfler, Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, John Fogerty, Peter Rowan and Kris Kristofferson. Add in an original song ("When Death Does Us Apart") and a few of their own instrumentals ("Fall Farm," "Ossian" and "Caurea") and you've got a unique blend of music with Slovak, Moravian and Czech dialects. Actually recorded in April, 2004 and then released in their country on the Universal label, "Good Morning, Friend" was then released in the U.S. in 2006 when Compass Records decided to put it out. Compass had previously distributed their Czechmate, New Freedom Bell, and Piece of Cake projects in the U.S. about 1999.



Mandolinist and vocalist Robert Krestan's full-bodied, gruff voice sounds a bit weather-stained. But despite his raspiness, he provides a certain gusto to lines like Johnny Cash's "Yes I'm feeling like a million since I've got you livin' in." European audiences are not necessarily looking for that "high, lonesome sound" in their bluegrass, and Krestan's multi-year wins of "Male Vocalist of the Year" (Banjo Jamboree Festival), "Country Artist of the Year" (Czech Music Academy), and "Best Male Vocalist" (Bluegrass Association of the Czech Republic) prove that. His gruffgrass vocals are complemented by some excellent banjo, guitar and Dobro instrumental work courtesy of Lubos Malina, Emil Formanek, and Lubos Novotny. Malina also provides some refreshing whistles to the Celtic-flavored "Ossian," and clarinet to Dylan's "Goin' To Acapulco." The band's solid bass lines are provided by Petr Sury. Guests provide background vocals, harmonica, violin, resoradio and vibratongue (whatever those last two are). Druha Trava has collaborated on recording and touring with Charlie McCoy on numerous occasions, and his harmonica is a welcome addition to the mix of six tracks. It would've been nice to hear more of Stano Paluch's fiddle than just on the three cuts including him. I was also a tad disappointed that the mandolin is relegated to a rather minimal role on the CD.



Druha Trava dates back to 1991 when Krestan and Malina left the band known as Poutnici. Within a year, the new group had won a Czech "Band of the Year" Grammy. Over they years, they've done considerable recording and touring, sometimes singing in their native Slavic language and sometimes including a drummer. From 1993-97, Druha Trava toured the U.S. acoustically. From 1998-2001, they toured with a drummer. Beginning in 2002, Druha Trava again began touring the U.S. as an acoustic band. Their varied presentations indicate their diversity and open-minded attitude towards finding their own niche. The all-acoustic and all-English elements of "Good Morning, Friend" will help them to continue building their American fanbase among aficionados of their new acoustic music with interpretive twists.



Druha Trava proves its familiarity with straight-ahead bluegrass ("Sitting on Top of the World"), but they tend to show more of an affinity for strong and evocative singer/songwriter fare from country and folk tunesmiths. While the contemplative lyrics are certainly interesting, the presentation of them occasionally feels like they are missing some of the relevant emotion needed to convey the sentiments. A reflective song like Dylan's "Ring Them Bells," for example, requires a philosophic air as it concludes "Oh the lines are long, and the fighting is strong, and they're breaking down the distance, between right and wrong." Some enigmatic songs come from the pen of Mark Knopfler. With its references to Edinburgh and Charles Dickens characters, I believe that "What It Is" was written to evoke an environment with historical impressions and ambiance from another time and place. "Speedway at Nazareth" builds an analogy between CART racing and life -- "And the raceways were the battlefields and we fought `em all the way." We learn from mistakes in life, and if we can get it perfectly right, success will be right behind. Maybe this is a perfect anthem for Druha Trava that is chasing their dreams.



The band shows a lot of optimism, perseverance and dedication even when they're touring far from their European homeland. With Tom Waits' "Hold On," the message conveyed is "When it's cold and there's no music / well your old hometown is so far away / but, inside your head there's a record that's playing, a song called hold on, hold on, you really got to hold on .... " Although they've already accomplished a great deal, Druha Trava is evidently focused on even greater heights. While Kristofferson's "Nobody Loves Anybody Anymore" is more about love, I'm sure the band can relate to the greater message of "And if it don't come easy now, It ain't worth fighting for." The entertaining band seems to succeed best when they're exuberantly "Goin' on the run, Goin' down to see some girl, Goin' to have some fun." (Goin' to Acapulco). Now isn't that what music should be all about? Besides proficient musicianship and simply having fun, their strengths are clearly their confidence and composure with music that knows few boundaries. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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