Just got my Old Time Herald Magazine, and low and behold there is a review of "5 Strings Attached ~ Volume 2" by yours truly and Chris Coole. I don't know the reviewer, and whenever you send a recording in you take your chances, and this time we didn't fair really well. The problem is that the guy didn't appreciate our original material and our simple arrangements. If you have heard our CD, and would like to comment on the review in any way- that would be much appreciated. Thanks, Arnie

Here it is: Arnie Naiman and Chris Coole have produced an enjoyable album, the focus of which, as the album cover notes, is "the beauty of sound created on the open back banjo." This is primarily an album of banjo music. Well over half of this album consists of banjo accompanied by the guitar and, from time to time, a few other instruments and an occasional vocal. There are duo-banjo and solo banjo numbers, and a bluegrass-style band performs one selection. Naiman and Coole take turns playing the banjo, usually in a style that uses extensive single-string work to produce intricate and well constructed melodic lines, but there is also some old-time frailing to be found on this album. Both Naiman and Coole play their instruments well, producing clear, sharp, well-articulated music. This is a relaxed, comfortable album. Most of the selections are performed at a moderate tempo and, even on the faster songs, there is no sense that the music, the musicians, or the listener for that matter is being rushed. Several of the songs on this album are identified as having been drawn from a variety of sources including Burnett and Rutherford, Doc Watson, Uncle Dave Macon, Sam McGee, B.F. Shelton, and Don Stover. The bulk of the material, however, 14 of the 24 selections, was written by either Naiman or Coole. The most effective of these is "Rainbow on the Mormon's," the opening number. The banjo opens this selection, but the bass enters almost immediately and the two instruments play a duet in which the bass, freed from its supporting role for once, has a real melodic line of its own. Then the guitar joins the duo and the three instruments carry the tune to the end where the banjo, now a solo instrument again, quietly states the melody and quickly fades away. Unfortunately, "Rainbow on the Mormon's" is the exception rather than the rule. Naiman and Coole's original material often comprises the least interesting music on the album. The problem is that their tunes are primarily built upon an AABB structure, which is repeated four times. But each A and B section is itself composed of a single short musical phrase repeated with a slight variation. Thus each selection consists of much repetition of very little music, and they tend to get a little monotonous. The problem is compounded by the fact that so many of these songs have a simple, straightforward arrangement, usually banjo accompanied by guitar, that adds little variety. It is interesting to contrast any of Naiman's or Coole's tunes with the McGee Brothers' "Snowdrop." "Snowdrop" is almost twice as long as any of Naiman's or Coole's pieces, but with its more complex structure, it also holds your interest right to the end. If more songs on this album had been arranged with as much care and skill as "Rainbow on the Mormon's," what is now a nice pleasant album would be outstanding. The notes include the banjo tunings and, usually, the key signatures for the songs as well as listings for the musicians and brief statements about the sources of each song. The notes appear not to have been edited or even proofread. There are grammatical and other writing errors, and the format and layout is inconsistent. The photo of two men holding banjos, presumably Naiman and Coole, has no caption to identify them or tell the reader which is which. The overall sound quality is good, all the instruments and vocals can be distinguished clearly and are well balanced although there is an odd echo effect behind Coole's singing on "Darlin' Cora." People who enjoy banjo music will appreciate this pleasant album, and those who think a CD should be delivered full will appreciate the almost 70 minutes of music it contains. A.V. SHIRK