Holly Ding, a wonderful collection of old-time songs and instrumentals, is Tom, Brad, Alice's second release on the Copper Creek label. Multiple-instrumentalist Tom Sauber, singer Alice Gerrard, and fiddle/banjo player Brad Leftwich have been brought together by their love of old-time, string band music. Most of these songs hark back to an earlier time, as with the lovely The Christian's 'Good-Night' and an energetic version of The Cuckoo. It's especially fascinating to hear these songs if one is only familiar with a later version. Hank Williams' Alone and Forsaken receives a wonderful revamping, complete with stark instrumental accompaniment, perhaps rendering this dark tune even darker. Gerrard performs the self-penned Love Was the Price, a depressing ballad filled with gloomy imagery, a cappella. This is followed by a lively version of Sail Away Ladies, driven forward by Leftwich's energetic fiddle and held on course by the steady rhythm of Sauber's banjo. Other standouts include Little Margaret, a song that includes a ghostly apparition, temptation, and death. The liner notes document the source of each song, reinforcing the fact that the song -- not the performer -- is the heart of authentic old-time music. Still, one cannot deny that certain performers, as with Tom, Brad, Alice, place these songs in an exceptional light. Holly Ding is a fine release and will be warmly welcomed by fans of old-time music. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., Rovi