JOSH LEDERMAN & THE CAMBRIDGE-SOMERVILLE ALL-STARS | SEVEN YEARS A-ROAMING

By BRENT T. INGRAM

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GENRE | A BUNCH OF FOLK

VERDICT | ORIGINAL MESS

RELEASE | 6.23.09

LABEL | NINE MILE RECORDS

NINEMILERECORDS.COM

Since his time in Los Diablos, Josh Lederman has been a lone force in the local roots scene, sitting in on a Saturday afternoon session at the cozy Plough & Stars. As players started showing up to contribute, the talented songwriter began plotting tunes based around the talents of his cadre, which he called the CSARs (Cambridge-Somerville All-Stars). The resultant recording is a mellifluous compendium of the boroughs' brightest—trumpets, button accordions, mandolins, the works. "John Brown" talks of a kid who "played the piano and violin" and "Julie" sways under the gracious dual violins of Damon Leibert and Joe Kessler, not to mention Kay McKinstry's harmonic vocal accompaniment. McKinstry makes a bolder impression on "New Year's Day," an ode to the quietest day of the year. This celebration is joined by Kit Buckley's charming clarinet prancing away in the background. It's not designed to be anything but a joyous celebration of collaboration. That is an exercise usually gummed up by attitude, but here, it's just a mess of plain old fun.

CD RELEASE PARTY FRI 6.19.09, BAR PRECINCT