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Below you will find a few choice articles that have been written about What People are Saying...
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"Thank God new music still excites me-a true golden nugget of a record..."
Kort McCumber is yet another of those great unheralded Americana singer-songwriters and I'm more than a little gobsmacked that I've only just discovered him. I've always prided myself on being pretty much aware of all the good'uns out there and rather blindly assumed this was his debut album. After many listens I have just fallen totally in love with it. So imagine my total surprise when I finally got around to reading his press release to discover that LICKSKILLET ROAD is his sixth album. How come, I asked myself, could he have made five previous albums and remained way beneath my usually reliable radar? Especially as this is one of the best albums I've heard this year-and I have to say, there's been some pretty amazing ones so far.
-- Rambles.net Review Kort McCumber, Based in Colorado but with something of a Texas sound, McCumber has a foundation in bluegrass and 1970s California country-rock, the latter genre not particularly to my taste; still, it's hard to dislike tuneful, pop-inflected pieces like "One Day" and "There'll Be a Time," the second of them resounding with its echoes of the mostly forgotten hippie back-to-the-land fantasy, satirized wittily at the time in John Prine's "Spanish Pipedream." On the other hand, since McCumber has his feet where his music is (he lives in rural parts), the man surely knows whereof he sings. To paraphrase a line from an old minstrel tune, Lickskillet Road is a pleasant one to travel, I believe. --
McCumber plays ‘GOOD SONGS’ Kort McCumber first came to Colorado eight years ago from his home in Florida to attend The Song School at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons. So his show Saturday, at the town’s Rogers Hall, will have special significance. “I’m excited to get to Lyons,” said McCumber, who relocated to Colorado in 2003 and now lives in Gold Hill. The show will be in support of the singer-songwriter’s latest release, “Lickskillet Road.” The CD, his sixth, extends McCumber’s journey into Americana, and features guest appearances from Vince Gill and Lyons’ own Sally Van Meter. McCumber plays an assortment of instruments and sings on the recording. His voice is confident but non-threatening. It’s often achingly sweet. Other times it sounds like eggs, sunny-side up, with a side of bacon. The track “Middle Child,” on which Gill helps McCumber sing about being “a middle child of a first born son,” is first-rate material that could easily be a hit. With its hittin’-the-road theme, mandolin highlights and relaxed, 3/4 time, it’s the perfect vehicle for McCumber’s flannel-clothed sensibility. The lyrics are autobiographical — McCumber really is the middle child of a first-born son who moved to a mountain beneath a “hill of gold” and wed himself a beauty. “That’s about as true as it gets, right there,” McCumber said. An interesting note about McCumber: he’s good at golf. His father owns McCumber Golf and his uncle used to play on the PGA tour. He said he still hits the links, but not so often as when he lived in Florida. These days, you’re more likely to see him with a floppy cowboy hat on his head than with a driver in his hand. McCumber’s sister, Beth Wilberger, who moved to Colorado about a year after McCumber, plays fiddle and sings in his band. There is something fundamentally wholesome about McCumber and his project. His promotional material says that he “writes, plays and sings good songs.” That’s it, good songs. Put so plainly, the claim is bold. But it’s also true. Quentin Young can be reached at 303-684-5319 or qyoung@times-call.com.
-- I'll be reporting Kort's album as #2 most played Colorado release at KRFC FM in Fort Collins mid-jan thru mid-feb in my column in the Colorado Music Buzz for March issue! --
Well, that dream came true Monday, sort of. I called him at his home in Gold Hill, Colo., but I wanted to discuss his music. "I can't believe it actually happened that way, but I would be asked about my playing music rather than golf!" the bluegrass and country roots artist said. Mr. McCumber will visit Augusta for a performance at 9 p.m. Friday, April 25, at Still Water Tap Room, 974 Broad St., with his band McCumberland Gap. "I've performed in clubs all around Augusta, in Macon, Columbus and elsewhere, and have been to the Masters about six or seven times, but I've never performed in Augusta before," he said. Mr. McCumber, who goes by a shortened version of his middle name, Kortmann, grew up in an extremely musical and golfing family. His mother, Joy Myers, played for the Jacksonville Symphony for more than two decades, and the instruments he plays include guitar, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, piano, bouzouki, cello and bass. His father, Jim, owns McCumber Golf, a worldwide leader in course design and operations, based in Jacksonville. His uncle, Mark, spent nearly 30 years on the PGA Tour and has been playing the Senior Tour. Mr. McCumber will perform a tribute show on May 7 at Jacksonville Landing to commemorate the 20th anniversary of his uncle's winning the prestigious Players Championship tournament in Jacksonville. Kort's older brother, Josh, now is playing on the Nationwide Tour, which has launched a lot of Masters-qualifying players. Kort McCumber is no golfing slouch: He played collegiate golf at the University of Virginia and University of Florida. His sister, Beth Wilberger, who plays fiddle and sings harmonies in his band and lives near him, played collegiate golf at Florida State. "Last Thursday night, I was in Crested Butte (Colo.) performing, and I watched some of the Masters on TV that day," he said. "There it was the first day of (final rounds) play in Augusta and I was seeing those beautiful azaleas and dogwoods in bloom while I was buried in Colorado in eight feet of snow, and I realized how different my life is now!" Mr. McCumber's life took a major turn when he was "burned out with golf" and attending the University of Florida in Gainesville. He had seen how happy "some singer-songwriter guys" were playing their own music in local bars, and he decided to try his hand at it. "My first public, solo performance singing six of my original tunes came on Jan. 31, 1998, at a little bar in Gainesville called Common Ground," he said. "I was pretty hooked on being a singer-songwriter after that." Since then, Mr. McCumber has performed more than 1,000 shows throughout the U.S. and Europe, including Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival in Utah, and opened for such acts such as Vince Gill. His sixth and most recent recording project is his 2007 CD Lickskillet Road , which features Mr. Gill on a couple of numbers singing harmony and playing mandolin and guitar. The CD is named for the road where Mr. McCumber and his graphic artist wife, Amy, live. "This record is real rootsy bluegrass and American stuff; sort of like the Flying Burrito Brothers and Gram Parsons with my own little stamp on it adding elements of blues, country and rock," he said. You can find out more about Mr. McCumber and his music through his Web site, kortmusic.com. Don Rhodes has written about country music for 37 years. He can be reached at (706) 823-3214 or at don.rhodes@morris.com. ONLINE EXTRA Click here to listen to a portion of "Middle Child" by Mr. McCumber. From the Thursday, April 17, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle, Augusta GA.
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Mind the Gap Despite the fact that the shrinkwrap on his sixth album, Lickskillet Road, has been cool for some time now, Kort McCumber will still be hosting a CD-release party for it at the Boulder Theater this Friday night. “The last couple of records, we didn’t really get a chance to do something here in Boulder, so this time we wanted to do something big.” Named for the bumpy foothills road west of town where McCumber lives, this latest release brims and crackles with original bluegrass and assorted Appalachia stylings, with a confident and buoyant energy that belies his 30 years. But while most of the record was finished a year ago, recorded largely at Jim Gilmour’s place in Vermont in fall of 2006, McCumber held it up in deference to a guest artist’s schedule. “I did the bulk of it in about a week, then worked on it over three days in December here in Colorado. Then we kind of sat on it for while so we could get Vince Gill to sit in on a couple of tracks.” McCumber’s history with the estimable country star extends back to the mid-’90s, when Gill was a regular at a charity gold tournament in Nashville — McCumber’s dad, who is founder of a renowned golf course design and operations company (his uncle is tour pro Mark McCumber) were friends-of-friends of Gill’s. Kort was a scholarship collegiate player, as well. “We’d go out and play golf during the day, and Vince would play some music in the evening. I got to meet him in his trailer one year, and he says, ‘So, you’re a songwriter. Just keep at it, keep doing what you’re doing and sooner or later you’ll get there.’ “We stayed in touch over the years. He kind of watched my progression. The last record I left a message for him about getting to play, but didn’t really pursue it aggressively. This time, I managed to get him on the phone, and he said he’d love to play but was booked until May. So, we waited until he was free.” McCumber, who grew up in Jacksonville, spent some time in Nashville to expose himself to the business and make some contacts. But he says that he didn’t seriously immerse himself in roots music until he made his way to Colorado about four years ago. Since then he’s developed a solid writing partnership with Denver songwriter Kevin DeForrest “I knew that I was only going to be in Nashville for a little while. The thing is, the country music that’s produced there, the really commercial stuff, isn’t really the old style of country that I always liked. No pedal steel — maybe a tele here and there, but mostly it’s pop music.” His prior records lean more to the indie singer/songwriter motif, he says, and it wasn’t until he hit the thin air and the busy acoustic scene of the Front Range that he found his stride as a roots player. “It was totally the move to Colorado that inspired me to make this record. When I got here, I just couldn’t believe all the incredible players and bands that were happening in the acoustic music scene. I’ve been playing one instrument or another ever since I can remember, but I’ve always loved acoustic music — whether it’s Irish music or honky tonk or bluegrass or country. “It’s kind of weird that I had to move away from Nashville to really get into playing bluegrass and country music. All the players here, it seemed, developed their audience and styles on their own, without having the industry and all their rules telling them what it should sound like. Everyone here is open to playing any kind of music, crossing genres — and the thing is, they can play any kind of music.” “Once I got here, I realized the potential for making a living playing music, playing all the mountain towns and ski towns, and I told her she really needed to come out, also. “My dad used to ask me when I was going to come back to Florida, and I think he’s gotten the message that that’s probably not going to happen.” And what about the clubs? “Yeah, I get out to play once in a while. I’ll go out with some friends and still shoot right around par, and they’ll get on me about trying to make it out on tour. They don’t understand — making it as a touring golf pro is a lot harder than playing music for a living. I think I’ll stick with that.” On the Bill Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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February 1, 2008 Kort McCumber is one of those guys on the local music scene that is, simply put, one hell of a nice guy. So it’s no wonder that when he sat down to record his latest album, Lickskillet Road, that he had a ton of fellow Front Range musicians who offered their help. -- "Congratulations on winning the songwriter's contest...you were the unanimous choice for #1. You were
really really great!" -- “Nashville (now Boulder) based singer/songwriter Kort McCumber along with his sister, violinist/singer Beth are bright lights on the horizon of folk. I met them all at Paul Reisler’s song camp two years ago and have been a big fan ever since. Their youth, energy, optimism, and excitement are just what our music needs to make it accessible to a new generation of listeners. I think that they very much represent the future of the folkworld.” -- “Kort and Beth McCumber really know how to incorporate a multitude of styles: folk, blues, country, bluegrass, and rock with such care and craft that the seams rarely show.” -- “Kort McCumber has embraced the songwriting tradition of American folk as well as bluegrass music, combining personal storytelling with seamless sibling harmonies.” -- “This album is all about youthful energy. The perfect sibling harmonies and interesting arrangements make it a great CD to listen to on the road….it’s like bohemian/folk/bluegrass…very energized!” --
Music and Golf Fit Together Perfectly for McCumber By PATTI LEVINE-BROWN, Singer-songwriter Kort McCumber says he
is grateful for two gifts passed on to him by His uncle is pro golfer Mark McCumber,
who spent nearly 30 years on the PGA Tour
By Marc Tonglen The Gold Hill Inn is opening their doors for the 45th year on Friday, April 27th. This momentous occasion will be accompanied by the musical ingenuity of Kort McCumber and McCumberland Gap. All concertgoers are invited to join the musicians to enjoy gourmet all-inclusive 6-course meal before the FREE show.
Folk music finds pathways to the heart of America through many different avenues. Kort McCumber of Left hand Canyon found his Folk spirit after a childhood of orchestral training in the youth orchestras of Northern Florida. Quite different than the freight-hopping styles of Woody Gutherie and Rambling Jack Elliot, yet expressive of the same Americana Spirit, Kort’s solid musical background claims equal measure to his brilliant voice and down home roots writing style. Writer-Marc Tonglen
McCumber totes tool belt to town By Brian Muir Boulder musician extraordinaire Kort McCumber never met an instrument he didn’t like. Found backstage at Planet Bluegrass in Lyons, McCumber picks away at an upright bass. It’s his first turn with the big ax soon added to his talent list of titles, including singer, songwriter, guitarist, classically trained pianist and cellist, harmonica player, and aspiring mandolin, dobro, banjo and bazouki performer. Who knows what McCumber might play during his upcoming visit to Evergreen? Billed as the original Americana hootenanny, McCumber’s McCumberland Gap is the headline band at 7 p.m. July 19 in the fourth installment of Evergreen Lake Presents … Summer Concert Series at the Lake House. McCumber will be joined by violinist Beth Wilberger, bassist Ken “Hubcap” Campbell and percussionist Jason Pawlina. McCumberland Gap extends beyond the mishmash of this and that into a well conceived tapestry incorporating folk, country, bluegrass, and rock ‘n’ roll. And McCumber is in his element performing live, insisting: “You never know where the next great memory will come from, and that’s what makes it so easy to get up for each show.” McCumber and the Gap have released several CDs so far, including “Greetings from McCumberland Gap,” 2005 finalist for Best Roots recording by Indie Acoustic Project, “Until I Return,” “Bobber Johnson and the Nightcrawlers,” “After the Rain” and “Somewhere to Go.” Last May, a European tour included both Germany and the Netherlands over two weeks. Opening the Evergreen evening at 6 p.m. July 19 will be singer songwriter Sarah Sample, who has entertained audiences from Austin, Texas, to Logan, Utah. Her simple vocal and guitar approach maintains an intimate relationship with crowds of any size. For more information on the artists, visit www.kortmusic.com and www.sarahsample.com. Concert details are available at www.evergreenlakepresents.com or by calling 303-674-0532. _________________________ Reviews: Kort & Beth McCumber ~ Until I Return CD: Until I Return Home: Boulder, Colorado Style: Folk Quote: "The traditionally acoustic folk sound of this CD provides an apt musical context for the fine lyrics that both Kort and Beth write." By Ken Mowery At first encounter with Kort & Beth McCumber’s new CD Until I Return, music lovers will likely notice the great vocal leads and sibling harmonies dished up by this talented duo. Listener’s initial fascination with the vocal tracks will eventually give way to the realization that this CD also features spectacular instrumental performances. Kort plays just about every known instrument with a fret board, and his equally gifted sister plays the violin/fiddle. Notable guest appearances on this Jim Gilmour-produced project include folk greats Don Conoscenti and Ellis Paul. The traditionally acoustic folk sound of this CD provides an apt musical context for the fine lyrics that both Kort and Beth write. There is an occasional insertion of a slightly overdriven lead guitar in a few of the tracks that helps provide a fresh sonic edge. Additionally, there is a variety of rhythmic nuance and instrumentation, which brings the project pleasantly near the world beat threshold at several points. Thematically, the songs of Until I Return stay true to context telling stories about pilgrimage, heartache, growth and triumph, in a disarmingly authentic and conversational manner that gives listeners the feeling that they have known the McCumbers all of their lives. Listeners will want to catch the McCumbers' live act if possible. Check their website for dates and locations. While you’re waiting to see the show, you’ll want to pick up your own copy of Until I Return.
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