The Bankester Family "Somewhere In Between"

Anyone who has followed The Bankester Family from its very beginnings will appreciate the title of the family band’s new CD, “Somewhere In Between.”

Family patriarch Phil Bankester gives a good insight in the liner notes where he mentions “‘Somewhere in Between‘ is indicative of where we find ourselves at the present time. We have no idea where we’re headed, or even how we got here …”

Phil Bankester wrote those notes long before his wife, daughters and family band were announced last week as making a list of 13 acts that will be official Showcase bands at the 2009 International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass. That prestigious selection could prove to be a strong directional marker to help the family see where it may be headed. At the least, one might expect a major label or two to be making a sales pitch to this talented group.

Although “Somewhere In Between” is not on a major label, it certainly sounds like it could be. Although seldom dazzling, the musicianship here is certainly rock solid and many notches above adequate. And the vocals? Well, they do dazzle. But what would you expect from a family of four daughters who’ve been singing together all of their young lives?

The Bankester sisters range in age from 14 to 21. The oldest is now married; she’s Melissa Triplett, the group’s bass player. Her hubby Kyle plays banjo with the band and is also a pretty fair country picker on mandolin and guitar.

The other sisters are Lindsey on mandolin, Emily on fiddle and Alysha, also on fiddle. Mom and dad — Phil and Dorene — play guitar and add vocals to the already powerful sibling voices.

As far as groups go, The Bankesters of Carbondale, Ill., are still fresh, having started performing as a band in late 2004. But they already have compiled some miles, and according to the performance schedule posted on The Bankesters’ Web site are staring at many miles ahead in the coming year. That bit of info leads back to the significance of the “Somewhere In Between” title.

The Bankesters truly are at a junction in several different aspects, most notably their fairly fast rise in the bluegrass industry and the unchartered water that lies ahead. As far as their sound goes, it’s also Somewhere In Between — at times the young girls’ voices sound mature, at times they sound sweet and child-like, and overall, really just somewhere between youth and adulthood. That “in between” factor makes for a truly pleasant CD.

The song selection is a mix of traditional and new material. Personal favorites include a Becky Buller-written tune, “Carolina Rain,” “Reminds Me of Missouri” by Wil Maring and the opening track, the traditional, “Amen, There’s a Higher Power.”

But there’s not a bad cut on the CD. The Bankesters picked three songs from Ron Block’s song catalog and another Buller tune. The material is heavily weighted with gospel songs, but that’s a reflection of who this family is and what values they possess.

Apt as the title is at this point in time, I suspect it won’t be long before The Bankester Family moves in an upward direction from that somewhere-in-between groove.

The CD can be ordered from the The Bankester Family Web site.