C D     R E V I E W
	The Wildcat Road Ramblers is a two-woman band featuring DeeAnn GIllispie on fiddle and vocals and Kathy Sutterfield on banjo, guitar and vocals. When one thinks of all-female string bands, the Coon Creek Girls come to mind, and the Ramblers compare favorably with them (although having fewer members) and clearly were to some extent influenced by the Renfro Valley group. Here they do one of the Coon Creek Girls less well-known numbers, "44 Gun" (also known as "My Blue Eyed Boy"). Their influences, however, are numerous and include some of the finest artists from the golden age of country music, i.e. 1922-1942, as well as some more modern performers.    Like most modern old-time acts the Ramblers take part of their repertoire from the Carter Family. On this CD the Virginia trio is represented by a rendition of L.M. Bandy's 1902 "A Distant Land to Roam" that the Carters recorded in 1929. Another influence is Uncle Dave Macon, the ultimate source of the version of J.T. Wood and Charles E. Pratt's (who used the pseudonym H.J. Fulmore) 1881 "Wait 'Till the Clouds Roll By, Jenny." Macon is also probably the ultimate source for "Going Across the Sea," at least he recorded it in 1925, although it was also waxed at later dates by the Crook Brothers, Henry L. Bandy, and Dick Burnet.    The real surprises here, and some of the CD's finest cuts, are the performances of "Leaving Home," "A'Rovin' on a Winter's Night," and "I Truly Understand." The first is derived from Charlie Poole's version of Ren Shields and the Leighton Brothers 1912 reworking of the Frankie and Johnnie saga.    The second is one of many derivations of Child 76 "The Lass of Roch Royal" that has been popularized in recent years by Arthel "Doc" Watson.    The third comes from George "Shortbuckle" Roark's 1928 Bristol, Tennessee recording.    Overall, this is an excellent program with not one clinker in the lot. This is rousting old-time music from "Elkhorn Ridge" to the concluding number "Ain't got Trouble in Mind." Even a piece like Tex Ritter's "Rye Whiskey," a number more suited for male than female presentation, comes off strong. My only quibble is that the set would have been improved by more liner notes. Otherwise, this is a top-flight recording."          --  Dr. W.K. McNiel, folklorist at the Ozark Folk Center State Park, Cultural Resource Center. (Review from the Ozarks Mountaineer, Vol. 52, No. 4, May 2004)
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