4 Stars - Maverick 4 Stars - Rock n Reel UK 4 1/2 stars - American Roots UK Nominee BEST Concept Album - Independent Music Awards 2013. "A beautiful blend of old-timey, folk and alt. country that all ties together perfectly" American Roots UK "I just listened to the new album and love it! Really great singing and tune selection (I really, really like the ones you penned) I appreciate you taking on a theme and running with it. It has gravity, and heft, and allowed me to steep in the subject matter with you. Great work." Mike Farkas, The WIYOS "Cool clear harmony, narrative driven...beautiful instrumentation" Americana UK "Enchantingly fusing Anglo-Americana sounds Jan Bell has a wonderful knack of breathing new life into time worn folk tales and rare used human stories" Maverick Magazine. "A seamless album of true beauty. To argue over whether this sort of music is country or folk is to miss the point: these haunting acoustic arrangements may be new, but they call to a time before the distinction made sense, when all the world was folkways, and they evoke the best of that history." Cover Lay Down "This is a folk record where the songs are allowed to stand on their own two feet with a little low-key percussion and a splash of violin, banjo or mandolin to add colour. Jan’s own contributions fit seamlessly alongside the covers and ‘Elsecar Grace’, which tells the story of her grandfather, is one of the most memorable and affecting songs here. Some themed albums struggle under the weight of their concept; this one feels unforced and provides a strong argument in favour of keeping the album format alive." Martin Dowsing, R2 UK " I'm often asked 'What's an English girl doing in New York City playing country music?' I've set out to answer that question and tie together my Yorkshire roots, with the folk music and arts community I'm part of in America for the last twenty years. There are songs by emerging and established American and British songwriters; a couple of traditional folk songs; and a number of my own. Music as a way of telling stories and bringing people together made a life long impact on me during the year long miners strike of 1984. I'd see big strapping men singing on the picket lines, even on a bitter cold morning. Billy Bragg played a rowdy room at a fundraiser, and when he launched into 'Between the Wars' (which I cover on the album), he brought us all around in one unified understanding. Grandad went down the mine as a teenager, and had worked there forty five years at the time of the strike. There are songs about him and village life on the album. There are many special guests on this recording: Melissa Carper (co-founder of The Maybelles) and her Austin,Texas band The Carper Family. Folks I've been playing with a few years now: Jolie Holland, Samantha Parton (of The Be Good Tanyas), Rima Fand (Luminescent Orchestrii), Will Scott, Megan Palmer,, Philippa Thompson and Hilary Hawke. Friends from the road include Truckstop Honeymoon, Salty Pink, Casey Neill, and fellow English woman Juliet Russell, who leads mass choirs, and works wonders on an old Celtic ballad on the album. I'm also joined on a song about a Birmingham coal miner (which could be set in England as easily as Alabama), by one of my heroes, the legendary Alice Gerrard. As a fan of Loretta Lynn, I was led to the songs of Jean Ritchie who in turn led me to stories about 'Coal Mining Diva' Aunt Molly Jackson, (who I wrote a song about using her words from a letter she sent to Sing Out! folk magazine). When I heard songs by Hazel and Alice I felt right at home in the stories they told. I'm often drawn to songs that turn out to be written by folks from Kentucky coal miner stock, such as "You'll never leave Harlan Alive" by Darrell Scott, which The Maybelles often play. That song hits home and echoes the life of a Yorkshire family as well. I've learned that throughout Appalachia, folks have ancestors who migrated to America from northern England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Many songs traveled with them, such as the title track which started life in South Wales in 1907. Following an accident where over 100 miner's perished "Don't Go Down in the Mines, Dad" was penned by Welshmen Robert Donnelly and Will Geddes. It was "recomposed" by the blind Alabama Evangelist Rev. Andrew Jenkins, in 1925. Later that year Vernon Dalhart recorded it as 'Dream of the Miner's Child'. Its since been covered by Ralph Stanley, and Doc Watson among others. You can find out more about the history of this song in Archie Green's landmark dissertation Only a Miner. Following such mining disasters many Welsh miner's - including Grandad Williams family went across the Pennine Mountains to South Yorkshire. The word was that the Fitzwilliam family there, owned and operated the safest pits in the country. Songs from the 'Land of Poet's and Singers' as Wales is known, were now venturing across the Atlantic as well." Jan Bell, NYC 2012. Maybe growing up in Yorkshire is what sets Jan Bell apart from the run of local lady folkies. Or maybe its the slide guitars, harmonicas, mandolins and banjos. Dark, old timey spareness......Gorgeous - Chuck Eddy as Senior Editor, VILLAGE VOICE. Produced and engineered by Jason Mercer at Stoop Sale Recordings. Mixed at Saltlands in DUMBO, NYC. (Several Guest engineers around the country as well). Jason has worked with Ani Difranco, Ron Sexsmith, Rick Moranis, BareNaked Ladies, Tony Scherr, Jesse Harris. He lives and works in Brooklyn, playing music and recording with Matt Keating, Jenifer Jackson, Annie Keating, Mike Ferrio, Jack Grace, Clarence Bucaro, Mary and The Strays, and Ana Egge.