Lazybirds

“From our earliest days bumming around Boone, the Old Crow boys knew it was the Lazybirds who were the best musicians on the scene. Why after all it was the Lazybirds who played those infectious country blues and that feverish hillbilly swing which got all the girls going down on King Street. Back then the ‘Birds played the downbeat for every picking party in town; we listened on in awe to their incredible syncopation, ears pricked to hear the deep body of songs they played, all of us Old Crow boys new in town and hearing for the first time in a long time that familiar tongue of musical kin. It was the Lazybirds–Mitch and Jamey, Jay and Andy– who welcomed us in and got us our first gigs in the High Country; who taught us dozens of songs, and how to play ‘em with finesse because if Old Crow was down home, Lazybirds were uptown.

For more than a decade Lazybirds have been carrying on North Carolina’s long time tradition of exceptional roots music making. That’s why it should come as no surprise that Lazybirds’ “Broken Wing” is quite possibly the best album to come out of Carolina in 2010. Continuing to mine the rich terrain where fiery old-time country partners up with smoking jazz and blues (and sets the dance floor ablaze), this collection contains gems and rarities sure to delight any pair ears with a penchant for Pan-American music. With the title track, Jay Brown confirms my suspicion that he may be North Carolina’s best undiscovered songwriter. “Broken Wing” is a soul stirring classic, standing equal alongside Dylan’s Forever Young (Lazybirds recorded version of which is even more gorgeous than the original). Newest member and Ashe County muleskinner Alfred Michels plays some of the best High Country fiddle I’ve heard since Frank Blevins of the Tarheel Rattlers. All in all “Broken Wing” is a beautifully fluid record from the first song to the last. With their laid-back style, reverence for the roots, stellar harmonies, and the chops of seasoned pros, Lazybirds’ music continues to grow in scope and depth. We in OCMS continue be inspired by this band who, hearing first nearly 12 years ago, knocked our socks off. They still do.”
- Ketch Secor

“Third album for North Carolina retro-funsters Lazybirds, who once again trawl the roots of Americana with fourteen selections made up primarily of traditional material with one or two additional surprises. Covering a broad variety of styles encompassing a good eighty years of music, songs likely to have been heard around the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lazybirds confidently showcase their capacity for authenticity, with vibrant renditions of songs covering anything from the goodtime feel of Good Morning Blues to the sweeping bluegrass of Blue Moon of Kentucky.

From the Appalachian old-time feel of Travelin’ Man to the lilting merriment of Champagne Polka, both featuring some authentically rendered fiddle, courtesy of Alfred Michels, the band also consisting of Mitch Johnston on upright bass, Jay Brown on guitar and James T Browne on drums, are joined once again by founding member Andy Christopher on a bit of tenor guitar and banjo, to whom the album is dedicated.

Pulling out the bag a couple of choice covers, Lazybirds offer an almost sing-along version of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young, a banjo-led take on Sly Stone’s late 1960s celebratory Life and an almost jug band version of The Slickers’ reggae classic Johnny Too Bad, each song fitting in perfectly well against the more traditional fare.

With the one original song, Jay Brown’s heartfelt Broken Wing from which the album’s title derives, Lazybirds third record offers an eclectic treasure trove of enduring musical gems.”
- Northern Sky