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TORONTO STAR - GREG QUILL 02/16/06
LITTLE WIDGETS CD REVIEW
Light of touch, fast of wit, copiously imaginative, and a musical
scholar of the highest distinction, Toronto mandolin virtuoso
Collins pulls out all the stops on his instrumental solo debut , a
masterful amalgam of mostly original bluegrass, jazz, folk and
classical pieces not at all unfamiliar to those who know his work
with the jazzy bluegrass outfit Creaking Tree Quartet and the
more traditional string band, the Foggy Hogtown Boys, whose
members assist on just about every track here. This is stylish,
jawdropping acoustic instrumental work that matches anything
in the canon, richly allusive, wholly melodic and respectful of the
forms it embraces. It may not advance the genre, but certainly
represents newgrass at its finest.
CHIGAGO TRIBUNE - DAVID ROYKO 12/11/04
TOP TEN BLUGRASS RECORDINGS OF 2004
7. ANDREW COLLINS & MARC ROY: Likewise (sytesounds)
These two progressive pickers, mandolinist Collins, of
The Creaking Tree String Quartet, and guitarist Roy,
of the Emory Lester Set, have crafted a set of
thoughtful original instrumentals that, while
providing effective launching pads for creative
improvising, stand up nicely as compositions. The pair
are more focused on musical ideas than on showing off
their impressive chops, though on numbers like the
lively Get Outta Hogtown, they leave no stone
unturned when virtuosity is called for.
BLUEGRASS NORTH MAGAZINE- BJORN WEEKS - 05/2005
LIKEWISE - CD REVIEW
There is nothing quite like the simple pleasure of a well-done small ensemble album. In
the performance of a duo, spaces are left in the music that (in the best cases) allow the
things to develop in a way that is just not possible with a larger ensemble. The trouble
for the performers of such music is that there is nowhere to hide. For even the casual
listener, both musicians are fully exposed at all times. Andrew Collins and Marc Roy
have released a duet album, which demonstrates that the two of them are up for the
challenge. The two young players weave together seamlessly, creating a rich textured
album that is prime example of the beauty that can be coaxed out between just two
instruments.
Andrew Collins is rapidly becoming established as a major voice on the mandolin in
Canada. Playing straight-ahead bluegrass with the Foggy Hogtown Boys (see
January/February issue of Bluegrass North for the interview with that band), and
exploring the realms of new acoustic music with the Creaking Tree String Quartet, he has
demonstrated that he has both a versatile voice on the instrument, and an unusually strong
melodic sense. He also has the requisite chops to deploy technical flash when needed.
Marc Roy is known mostly from playing with the Emory Lester Set, and is also a
regular Crazy Strings in Toronto (where Andrew Collins also performs). But with
this album he should be poised to break through to far wider recognition. The guitar
work here compares well to the very best in modern flat-picking. His tone is rich and
full, more reminiscent of players like Dan Crary or Bryan Sutton, than those from the
Tony Rice/Clarence White side of the spectrum, and his phrasing tends to the roundly
melodic.
This album is largely about original music, with each artist contributing five new tunes,
including the title track "Likewise," written by Marc Roy. The new compositions
navigate the stylistic range between the Dawg-like (such as "Dang Blues") and those that
sounds like they could have been traditional (such as "Dang Blues") and those that
sounds like they could have been traditional (such as "Get Outta Hogtown"). The
balance seems tilted slightly to the more traditional sounding melodies, with the
traditional fiddle favorite "The Dusty Miller" blending seamlessly into the program. In
all, it makes for a uniquely satisfying duet album that stands up well to repeated careful
listening.
LIKEWISE - CD REVIEW
There is nothing quite like the simple pleasure of a well-done small ensemble album. In
the performance of a duo, spaces are left in the music that (in the best cases) allow the
things to develop in a way that is just not possible with a larger ensemble. The trouble
for the performers of such music is that there is nowhere to hide. For even the casual
listener, both musicians are fully exposed at all times. Andrew Collins and Marc Roy
have released a duet album, which demonstrates that the two of them are up for the
challenge. The two young players weave together seamlessly, creating a rich textured
album that is prime example of the beauty that can be coaxed out between just two
instruments.
Andrew Collins is rapidly becoming established as a major voice on the mandolin in
Canada. Playing straight-ahead bluegrass with the Foggy Hogtown Boys (see
January/February issue of Bluegrass North for the interview with that band), and
exploring the realms of new acoustic music with the Creaking Tree String Quartet, he has
demonstrated that he has both a versatile voice on the instrument, and an unusually strong
melodic sense. He also has the requisite chops to deploy technical flash when needed.
Marc Roy is known mostly from playing with the Emory Lester Set, and is also a
regular Crazy Strings in Toronto (where Andrew Collins also performs). But with
this album he should be poised to break through to far wider recognition. The guitar
work here compares well to the very best in modern flat-picking. His tone is rich and
full, more reminiscent of players like Dan Crary or Bryan Sutton, than those from the
Tony Rice/Clarence White side of the spectrum, and his phrasing tends to the roundly
melodic.
This album is largely about original music, with each artist contributing five new tunes,
including the title track "Likewise," written by Marc Roy. The new compositions
navigate the stylistic range between the Dawg-like (such as "Dang Blues") and those that
sounds like they could have been traditional (such as "Dang Blues") and those that
sounds like they could have been traditional (such as "Get Outta Hogtown"). The
balance seems tilted slightly to the more traditional sounding melodies, with the
traditional fiddle favorite "The Dusty Miller" blending seamlessly into the program. In
all, it makes for a uniquely satisfying duet album that stands up well to repeated careful
listening.
NOW MAGAZINE - TIM PERLICH 10/16/03
PICKIN' PARTY - CRAZY STRINGS SLINGERS BARE THEIR CHOPS
As a key member of THE CREAKING TREE STRING QUARTET, the FOGGY
HOGTOWN BOYS, and the EMORY LESTER SET, mandolin maestro Andrew
Collins is one of the busiest pickers in the jam-friendly Toronto roots music scene.
But even though he's got a gig somewhere in town on any given night of the week,
Collins always finds time for one more project - particularly when it involves low=key
guitar hotshot Marc Roy.
Anyone, who has been to the Silver Dollar for the CRAZY STRINGS Wednesday night
hoedown and seen the slouchy 20-year-old step forward and nonchalantly tear through
mind-roasting runs will understand why Collins was so determined to make time in his
already full schedule to collaborate with Roy on the brilliant Likewise duets album.
The independently produced and released disc doubles nicely as a showcase for
Roy's impressive composing and playing skills. "He really is an amazing talent," insists
Collins. "I've been around him long enough to have seen him pick up someone else's
instrument - something he doesn't normally play - and just start tossing off these
incredible licks. It's fun to see people's expressions when Marc gets going. They usually
get this look on their face like, 'Damn, I wish I could do that!'"
One day, Marc played Collins a tune he'd written called Dang Blues that really blew him
away. "It was more than just a well-written composition with a unique melody. It didn't
sound like something anyone else could've written - it was a Marc Roy tunes. "That's
when it hit me that Marc really needed to be in a recording situation where he's not just
augmenting the talents of the other players but showing all he can do as an artist. He's
such a creative player and so free on his instrument that a duet album would be the best
approach since it would leave him room enough to stretch out improvisationally."
With two serious string slingers involved, you might expect a Collins-and-Roy duets
session to quickly escalate into a duel of quick-picking one-upmanship, but Likewise
didn't turn out that way. It's more an easy-going musical conversation between peers
comfortable with each other and their own musical abilities.
Throughout their jazzy twist on traditional - which includes a head-turning take of the
Meters' Cissy Strut - they both seem just as eager to play support as take the lead. Sure,
there are some breathtaking runs, but it never comes off like showboating.
Collins credits the time he and Roy nave been spending playing alongside bluegrass
mandolin great Emory Lester in the EMORY LESTER SET as an important influence on
their musical approach to the duets on Likewise. "As a mandolinist, Emory has always
been known in bluegrass circles as a shredder, always pushing the beat and showing his
considerable chops at every chance.
"So when Emory asked me to be in his band, I expected him to be real flashy, but since
the time he move bock to Virginia there've been some big changes. He's gone completely
the other way. He'd actually rather let me take the solos while he concentrates on the melody
and the sound of the group.
"Instead of learning how to be flashy, playing with Emory taught me more about the
value of restraint and hearing the sound as a whole. I've learned a lot about being a
mature player."
PICKIN' PARTY - CRAZY STRINGS SLINGERS BARE THEIR CHOPS
As a key member of THE CREAKING TREE STRING QUARTET, the FOGGY
HOGTOWN BOYS, and the EMORY LESTER SET, mandolin maestro Andrew
Collins is one of the busiest pickers in the jam-friendly Toronto roots music scene.
But even though he's got a gig somewhere in town on any given night of the week,
Collins always finds time for one more project - particularly when it involves low=key
guitar hotshot Marc Roy.
Anyone, who has been to the Silver Dollar for the CRAZY STRINGS Wednesday night
hoedown and seen the slouchy 20-year-old step forward and nonchalantly tear through
mind-roasting runs will understand why Collins was so determined to make time in his
already full schedule to collaborate with Roy on the brilliant Likewise duets album.
The independently produced and released disc doubles nicely as a showcase for
Roy's impressive composing and playing skills. "He really is an amazing talent," insists
Collins. "I've been around him long enough to have seen him pick up someone else's
instrument - something he doesn't normally play - and just start tossing off these
incredible licks. It's fun to see people's expressions when Marc gets going. They usually
get this look on their face like, 'Damn, I wish I could do that!'"
One day, Marc played Collins a tune he'd written called Dang Blues that really blew him
away. "It was more than just a well-written composition with a unique melody. It didn't
sound like something anyone else could've written - it was a Marc Roy tunes. "That's
when it hit me that Marc really needed to be in a recording situation where he's not just
augmenting the talents of the other players but showing all he can do as an artist. He's
such a creative player and so free on his instrument that a duet album would be the best
approach since it would leave him room enough to stretch out improvisationally."
With two serious string slingers involved, you might expect a Collins-and-Roy duets
session to quickly escalate into a duel of quick-picking one-upmanship, but Likewise
didn't turn out that way. It's more an easy-going musical conversation between peers
comfortable with each other and their own musical abilities.
Throughout their jazzy twist on traditional - which includes a head-turning take of the
Meters' Cissy Strut - they both seem just as eager to play support as take the lead. Sure,
there are some breathtaking runs, but it never comes off like showboating.
Collins credits the time he and Roy nave been spending playing alongside bluegrass
mandolin great Emory Lester in the EMORY LESTER SET as an important influence on
their musical approach to the duets on Likewise. "As a mandolinist, Emory has always
been known in bluegrass circles as a shredder, always pushing the beat and showing his
considerable chops at every chance.
"So when Emory asked me to be in his band, I expected him to be real flashy, but since
the time he move bock to Virginia there've been some big changes. He's gone completely
the other way. He'd actually rather let me take the solos while he concentrates on the melody
and the sound of the group.
"Instead of learning how to be flashy, playing with Emory taught me more about the
value of restraint and hearing the sound as a whole. I've learned a lot about being a
mature player."