Title: The Measure of a Songwriter...
Product review: ...is how well his songs outlast their original era and context. That Stephen Foster was probably America's first important songwriter is inarguable. Yet it would be a mistake to _leave_ his songs there. This CD, to my mind, proves that his compositions have staying power. Bluegrass/folk treatments are a natural medium for Foster's songs, and the performances here are assured and approachable. Forget about "anachronism" as another reviewer put it. It would do Stephen Foster even more injustice to abandon his songs to the style of light opera or "parlor" music. They're better than that, and this disc proves it.
Would you say this review depicts the product in a flattering or unflattering light?
