So a while ago I wrote about the great young fiddler Amanda Shaw. When the post was on No Depression one of the comments was that maybe she could team with equally young Sierra Hull, who plays mandolin to form a wunderkid band! So never having heard of Sierra Hull I visited her website and one of the first things that stood out were these quotes”
“Sierra Hull is without doubt my favorite mandolin player!” – Adam Steffey – pretty high praise from a great mandolin player!
“Every so often, a talent comes along that makes us sit up and take notice. That time is now for Sierra Hull.” -SAM BUSH – again some greater praise from a great picker!
Then I see that Sierra and her band Highway 111 were nominated for two IBMA awards in 2010 first for Emerging Artist Of the Year – Sierra & Highway 111 and then *Mandolin Player Of the Year – Sierra!
Finally, I see that her latest album and first national release Secrets was co-produced by Ron Block,(who’s worked with Alison Kraus and plays on the album along with Barry Bales, Dennis Crouch, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Clay Hess, Rob Ickes, Chris Jones, Jason Moore, Tony Rice, Dan Tyminski, Jim VanCleve, and the remarkably hard-driving seventeen-year-old banjo phenom Cory Walker, who has already played alongside Sierra for several years.
So needless to say I quickly downloaded the album and have been listening to it for the last week or so and it is a great album. Sierra voice reminds me of a young Alison Kraus. It’s never over powering and fits perfectly with the music, which as expected is very very good. While I like the whole album the two tracks that do keep catching my attention are the two instrumental tracks “Smashville” and “Hullarious” both dynamite tracks!
So check out the phenom from Byrdstown Tennessee at her Myspace page Oh by the way this young woman who started playing mandolin at eight she just finished high school this year and will be going to Berklee College of Music next year on a full scholarship!
Here’s a 2009 performance of “Foggy Mountain Special” with Sierra and Highway 111