A veteran performer from the Cincinnati area, Missy Werner makes her national debut with an album produced by long-time friend and occasional bandmate Dwight McCall (J. D. Crowe & The New South) that features a compelling mix of new songs with under-appreciated gems from writers like Dolly Parton. Plucked from a decades-old movie soundtrack, the title song showcases her plaintive vocals with subtle, sympathetic backing from an all-star crew of McCall’s closest colleagues. With the release of Drifting And Dreaming, listeners across the country have a chance to hear what southwestern Ohio bluegrass fans have enjoyed for years—a plaintive, expressive voice that’s equally at home negotiating the twists and turns of a contemporary song or delivering a bona fide classic. For though the disc is her first national release, Missy Werner’s long been a favorite in that corner of the “Bluegrass Belt,” thanks to a traditional apprenticeship in her father’s bluegrass band, followed by years of leading her own group, Next In Line. A detour into higher education and a professional career reduced her visibility—though she continued to make occasional appearances with Cincinnati’s award-winning Comet Bluegrass All-Stars—but it also served to sharpen her artistic vision, and ultimately her determination to take her music seriously. The result is a striking set, with a title track that has already drawn attention from bluegrass radio programmers around the country through Prime Cuts Of Bluegrass distribution—and with a band drawn from experienced friends and colleagues who, like Missy, have earned their stripes performing and recording in the bluegrass heartland. Drifting And Dreaming may be the first that most bluegrass fans will hear from Missy Werner, but it won’t be the last.