From 2003 to 2005 I (John) had the pleasure of making music with long-time friends Adam Bernard and Greg Glassman. We recorded these songs with the help of the Blaney Brothers and Chris Pandolfi. The results of our merriment was as chronicled below:
"Before jamgrass laid claim to the hippie side of bluegrass, there was another left-of-center tradition epitomized by John Hartford and, sometimes, Peter Rowan. Boston trio Night In Wyoming follows in those footsteps. Laid-back, banjo-flavored, and far more focused on songs than chops, the band straddles bluegrass and folk.
Leader John Gillette possesses a warm voice and a gift for more straight-spoken poetry. He's also a serious long-distance hiker, and the album rings with his experiences. "Stretch On, Road" praises the outdoor life; in "Skylarking", he calls himself "a modern hobo." Hell, the album begins with the couplet "Blackberry breakfast/ Hitchin' out to Texas." Even when covering other subjects, the songs have the relaxed pace of a long day on foot.
That relaxation permeates Gillette's Zen-like philosophy toward the modern world. He views a lost love with some melancholy but overall acceptance. In "'04", he mourns the disappearance of the countryside and accompanying changes with regret, not the Guthrie-level fire. Similarly, the barely employed narrator of "Working My Way 'Cross The Country" describes smoke-choked factories and greasy diners, but what sticks are the Chad Mitchell Trio-style parallel harmonies. The album's final, rallying chorus declares that Night In Wyoming intends to 'play this music all our lives, right 'til the very end, boys.'"