Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein - 2:10 Train



Nashville Public Radio
— Dave Higgs

In my opinion, there are few things in life more exciting than a great duet album. If it's done right, the perfectly executed duet can you take you places you can't otherwise go. Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein go around the world ... and then back again on their superb new disc. The interplay between their instruments is tight and brimming with energy. The arrangements are interesting, the singing, of course, out of this world and, best of all, the end result is far greater than the sum of the parts. "2:10 Train" may well be the perfect duet album. It's full, rich and just flat-out thrilling. I'll be doing my best to get the word out in Nashville and in our other syndicated locations.


Lonesome Road Review (4 out of 5 stars)

— Maria Morgan Davis

Two voices, one mandolin, one guitar, and no place to hide. That's the challenge that Chesapeake alumni Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein have set for themselves on their debut release. They win the day with an inspired mix of songs, and a style that fuses ’30s-style brother harmonies with new acoustic music and ’70s folk-pop.

Gaudreau and Klein effectively channel James Taylor (Harvey Reid's "Dreamer or Believer"), Tony Rice (Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind"), and Tim O'Brien (Pete Goble's "Colleen Malone"). The results are always listenable but the duo is at their best when they let their own unique style come through.

They do Harley Allen's "High Sierra" proud by underplaying the lyrical drama, keeping their harmonies simple, and making subtle use of Gaudreau's mandolin, as delicate as fine lace.
Their approach to traditional numbers is decidedly modern, but the performances are so engaging that they escape the chilly abstractionism so common to new acoustic music. "Shady Grove" closes the album with a scintillating arrangement that zigzags between the melody's forbidding minor key and breezy, progressive grass. "Sweet Sunny South" benefits from a straight-up folk approach, while a new acoustic vibe gives a lift to both "Black Jack Davey" and the instrumental medley of "Arkansas Traveler" and "Soldier's Joy." Klein excels on the latter: You'd be hard-pressed to find a more delectable bass tone.

Two swing numbers make a nice change of pace from the overall new acoustic/folk flavor. "Evening" (Mitchell Parish, Harry White) boasts enough sparkle and drive for a full orchestra, but Klein and Gaudreau get such round tone from their instruments that you'll never miss the horn section. "Any Old Time" is less infectious, but still swings.

The album reaches one of two high points with Eric Bogle's "And the Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda," the story of the World War I battle at Gallipoli, and the tragic aftermath for one Australian veteran. Klein gives a nicely nuanced vocal performance that lets the story unfold naturally.

The album's title cut bears a striking resemblance to "Sweet Home Alabama," even though it predates the Skynyrd classic. The boys have a blast improvising over the familiar changes, but their digressions are always tasteful. Gaudreau pays joyful tribute to "Sweet Home's" iconic guitar riff, and the outro is a classic rock lover's delight, but the musical hijinks never detract from the bittersweet lyric (about visiting day at Big Ben prison). Klein gives the album's most affecting vocal performance here, and the brush strokes of longing harmony from Gaudreau perfectly highlight the most yearning parts of the melody. This one is sure to be a huge hit in concert.

Gaudreau and Klein have crafted an instant summer soundtrack that's as comfortable and durable as a favorite pair of jeans.


Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer
— Keith Lawrence

Can bluegrass be played on just two instruments - a mandolin and guitar? Purists will likely debate whether this new album from Jimmy Gaudreau and Lawrence "Moondi" Klein is really bluegrass. But both are long-time bluegrass musicians and the music is acoustic.

And anyway, the definition of bluegrass is getting pretty loose these days. Gaudreau, 61, the mandolin player, burst on the national bluegrass scene in 1969, when he replaced John Duffey in the legendary Country Gentlemen. Duffey went on to found the Seldom Scene and in the early 1990s, Klein, now 45, replaced John Starling as the lead singer and guitarist for the Scene.

Then, Gaudreau and Klein joined forces in 1996 to create the short-lived super-group Chesapeake with Mike Auldridge and T. Michael Coleman, two other former members of the Seldom Scene. Chesapeake, which played a blend of bluegrass, country, folk, blues and jazz, folded a decade ago.

But last year, Klein invited Gaudreau to go with him on a trip to Great Britain and they decided to record an album to sell at shows over there. That's why it's a duet album and not a full band. Rebel refers to the album as "new-time" brother duets. Whatever it is, it's beautiful music.

Three of the songs - "Dreamer or Believer," "High Sierra" and "The Last Thing On My Mind" - are from the Chesapeake repertoire. Four are traditional songs - "Sweet Sunny South," "Arkansas Traveler/ Soldier's Joy," "Black Jack Davey" and " Shady Grove." The title cut is a song about a train that takes women home from visiting day at a prison. It's all good, but the highlight is "And The Band Played `Waltzing Matilda'," a song about Australian soldiers in World War I who learned that "there were worst things than dying."

Whether it's technically bluegrass or not, "2:10 Train" is an album most bluegrass fans will want to hear.


The News & Observer
— Jack Bernhardt

Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein, former members of the artgrass quartet Chesapeake, join together for a thoroughly enjoyable 13-song romp with "2:10 Train" (Rebel). Chesapeake might have been to bluegrass what smooth jazz is to jazz, but Gaudreau and Klein craft a sound that is suave yet vibrant with sturdy bluegrass/folk constructions.

Klein and Gaudreau (a member of Robin and Linda Williams' Fine Group) develop progressive newgrass arrangements for such trusty favorites as Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind" as well as the classics "Sweet Sunny South," Shady Grove" and "Arkansas Traveler/Soldier's Joy."

Vocally, the duet is distinguished by Klein's warm, supple tenor enriched by Gaudreau's high harmonies. The duet excels on ballads such as Harley Allen's introspective "High Sierra," the separation saga "Colleen Malone" and "And the Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda,'" a World War I tale that remains relevant as an anti-war anthem.

Gaudreau's virtuosic mandolin playing is matched by Klein's lyrical guitar leads on the traditional "Black Jack Davey" and Jim and Jesse McReynolds' "Dixie Hoedown," adding instrumental luster to an already sparkling collection.


The Bluegrass Blog
— John Reese

Rebel Records has two new releases released last week, a greatest hits compilation and a new duo recording.

Jimmy Gaudreau & Moondi Klein - 2:10 Train. Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein are names that should be familiar to bluegrass fans. Klein spent time with Seldom Scene, and later with Mike Auldridge (and Jimmy Gaudreau) in Chesapeake. Gaudreau has been a member of several of the most celebrated acts ever to play bluegrass - The Country Gentlemen, JD Crowe & The New South and The Tony Rice Unit, to name a few.

Their debut CD together is called 2:10 Train, and the performances are true duets throughout. There are no guest artists, just Moondi on guitar and lead vocals with Jimmy on mandolin and harmony. The material is taken from traditional old time and country music, and some of the best contemporary bluegrass and folk songwriters. If you've followed these genres for the past 20 years or so, most of the titles will be familiar, but each receives a treatment that is fresh and perfectly in keeping with the minimalist approach on this CD.

You'll find Tom Paxton's "Last Thing On My Mind," Pete Goble's "Colleen Malone," Harley Allen's "High Sierra," and Eric Bogle's "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" among the newer songs along with old time favorites like "Sweet Sunny South," "Shady Grove," and Black Jack Davey."


CD Universe
— Editorial Review

Since his arrival in the late-1960's, mandolin player Jimmy Gaudreau has been among the most sought-after bluegrass session musicians, although he rarely stepped out under his own name. In 2008, he teamed up with New York City guitarist and one-time Seldom Scene singer Moondi Klein for the mellow 2:10 TRAIN. The lushly produced album contains a wide variety of influences, reflected in its covers, which range from Jimmie Rodgers to Tom Paxton. The collaboration bears the mark of two seasoned musicians with an abiding love for the music and the land.


Amazon.com
— Editorial Review

Every so often two diverse musical talents get together to create a fresh new sound that just seemed destined to happen. That is the case here as two well-respected musicians combine to provide a vibrant, distinctive duet treatment of a wonderful group of songs and tunes.

For more than 35 years Jimmy Gaudreau has been one of the premier sidemen in bluegrass music, getting his start in 1969 when he replaced John Duffey as mandolin player and tenor singer for the legendary Country Gentlemen (the three albums he made with them included one of their biggest hits, Fox on the Run ). Stints followed with Eddie Adcock s II Generation, Country Store (with the late Keith Whitley), J. D. Crowe s New South and Spectrum (with Bela Fleck). He then held down a nine-year tenure with the Tony Rice Unit.

Moondi Klein grew up in Manhattan of all places, and was associated with the Metropolitan Opera s Children s Chorus before he turned 10 years old. A trip to the Carter Fold in Southwest Virginia with his dad introduced him to mountain music and, in effect, changed his life. After studying music in college he moved to the Washington DC area where he soon became the lead singer for the renowned Seldom Scene, replacing John Starling. He later teamed up with Gaudreau, Mike Auldridge and T. Michael Coleman in the short-lived but impressive group Chesapeake.

Gaudreau, with his clean, dynamic and thoroughly musical mandolin picking, and Klein, an excellent guitarist, provide more than enough tasteful instrumental ideas here in their fills, their spirited back up work and their beautifully performed version of Dixie Hoedown and a medley of the classic old-time tunes Arkansas Traveler and Soldier's Joy. But it is their trademark vocal blend that first catches the listener, and they have chosen a baker s dozen of wonderful songs that suit them so well (like the best of their work with Chesapeake). Especially effective are superb versions of Colleen Malone, Black Jack Davey, Last Thing On My Mind and the classic Sweet Sunny South.

Harley Allen s lovely High Sierra and Harvey Reid s Dreamer Or Believer are newer songs that fit in perfectly with the duo s style a sound that s grounded in tradition but fully contemporary at the same time.


Proper Distribution (The largest independent distributor in the UK)
— Editorial Review

Gaudreau & Klein are not so much an old-time "brother" duo - though they stick to the traditional form of guitar and mandolin with vocals - as they are a new-time duo. They have concocted an intriguing blend of the traditional and the contemporary as evidenced by their playing and singing as well as their song choices. This debut album from the founding members of progressive bluegrass supergroup Chesapeake contains several modern numbers as well as some reworked chestnuts that combine to make an altogether excellent recording.


County Sales (The World's Largest Selection of Bluegrass and Old-Time Music)

A few years back the short-lived group Chesapeake came out with three interesting albums, which _though uneven_all contained some gems. Klein and Gaudreau were the major forces in that group which also included Mike Auldridge and T. Michael Coleman. What Jimmy and Moondi are doing here as a duet is very reminiscent of the Chesapeake recordings, except the material is all well-chosen and appropriate to their style. Klein_who was lead singer for the Seldom Scene for awhile_has a good voice and a very distinctive manner of presentation, and he is complemented beautifully by Gaudreau's tasteful mandolin playing and equally strong vocals. (Klein adds some excellent lead guitar work too). Offset by a couple of lovely slower pieces like Harley Allen's HIGH SIERRA, the songs are mostly sprightly pieces that move along nicely: BLACK JACK DAVEY, SWEET SUNNY SOUTH, COLLEEN MALONE, LAST THING ON MY MIND and Harvey Reid's DREAMER OR BELIEVER all stand out, as do the two mandolin-guitar instrumentals (DIXIE HOEDOWN and an ARKANSAS TRAVELER/SOLDIER'S JOY MEDLEY). The music here is different, distinctive, relaxed and thoroughly enjoyable.


Mandolin Cafe News

The perfect trio of mandolin, guitar and two superb voices for this Rebel Recording by two veteran bluegrass performers. Songs from the tradition plus newer songs from Harvey Reid, Tom Paxton, Eric Bogle, Harley Allen and more.