Marcie Horne “Everything’s Blue” ( Mountain Fever Records)

“Everything’s Blue,” a new CD on the Mountain Fever Records label has just a little bit of everything on it. Bluesy tunes, straight-ahead bluegrass, country-style ballads and gospel.

And everything is done, at least vocally, by Marcie Horne, a native of southwest Virginia, who makes a living as a DJ in Stuart, Va.

Produced by Sammy Shelor of the the Lonesome River Band and Mark Hodges, the CD contains 14 tracks, which is a blessing and, to a lesser extent, a bit of a curse. Her fans in and around Virginia will appreciate having so many tunes on this CD, but to a new listener, quite frankly, by the end of Track 14, I’d developed a bit of listener fatigue.

Horne is evidentally well known and liked in her Virginia home base as the CD attracted a nice supporting cast that includes Jeanette and Johnny Williams, Alan Bibey and producer Shelor, who also steps in the recording arena on the musician side of things.

“Everything’s Blue” starts strong with the Bill Monroe classic, “Can’t You Hear Me Calling,” and it’s done in a traditional style that would have made the father of bluegrass proud. One of my favorites on the project is the Herb Pederson tune, “Old Train,” that Seldom Scene and Tony Rice covered so well.

According to advance publicity from Mountain Fever Records, Horne grew up listening to folk, country and rock, but “was bitten by the bluegrass bug 11 years ago and never looked back.” She has a pleasant voice that carries her musical emotions well.

Her songwriting talents, showcased on six cuts on “Everything Blue,” suggest that the folk and country roots remain ingrained in her soul. I really enjoyed one of her originals, a gospel song, “God is Good.”

Although I started this review with a minor gripe about the longevity of the 14 tracks, each one has something good to offer. I simply think I would have enjoyed this first CD from a newcomer more had it had a couple less tracks on it.

Nonetheless, it’s worth a listen, even if you want to break it down into a couple of different sessions. And, as previously stated, Horne’s fans will enjoy every note, every instrumental break, of every track. As they should. She obviously put a lot of effort into producing this work.

Information about purchasing the CD can be obtained at www.mountainfever.com, or www.myspace.com/marciehorne.