Heartland (Rural Rhythm, 2009)

Not yet a household name, Tommy Webb fits the bluegrass mold well. The musicians on this new recording - his label debut, but third overall - are not well known either (except for Ron Stewart, who plays anything with strings and produced), but they prove quite capable.

Webb grabs your attention from the start with a ballad of cheating and revenge, Teardrop Inn and brackets the CD with a Stanley classic, Clinch Mountain Backstep. In between there are several self-penned numbers including the title track, a bluegrass protest song and a Ricky Skaggs piece, A Hard Row To Hoe.. He shows an affinity for ballads like a Pete Goble - Leroy Drumm song, No Room Inside Your Heart, She Told Me So and Something In My Heart. The ballads alone make this CD a great addition to any collection.

The Kentucky native handles traditional songs like Little Sadie, adding some clawhammer to the track and does a good arrangement of River Of Jordan. Tommy Webb, with Stewart's guidance, has put together a good project puts his name on the bluegrass map.