Molly And Tenbrooks / I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome / If I Needed You / Nellie Kane / Can't You Hear Me Callin' / I Am A Pilgrim / Red Clay Halo / Cry Cry Darlin' / Turn Away / Lovin' You / Mechkin Kamen / Pennies From Heaven / Goro Le Goro Zelena / When The Cactus Is In Bloom / Tennessee Waltz

Lilly Drumeva aus Sofia, Bulgarien wurde während ihres wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Studiums in Wien 1994 auf Emmylou Harris' CD "Live At The Ryman" aufmerksam. Seither ist sie der Country- und insbesondere der Bluegrass Music eng verbunden. Beim Bulgarian National Radio and TV, der englischen BBC vergleichbar, hat sie eine zweistündige wöchentliche Radiosendung und eine 30-minütige wöchentliche Fernsehsendung, in der sie jeweils sieben aktuelle Videos vorstellt, vornehmlich aus den USA, weil es zu ihrem Leidwesen aus Europa kaum Videos gibt. Mit ihrer 1996 gegründeten Band Lilly Of The West hat sie seit Jahren Bluegrass und Folk gespielt, Swing gehört ebenfalls dazu. Inzwischen hat sie sich auch mit der tschechischen Top Bluegrass Band Monogram zusammengetan. Mit beiden Bands tritt sie auf. Wenn eher Swing- und Folk- Einflüsse gewünscht sind, spielt sie als Lilly Of The West, bei straight Bluegrass heißt es Lilly Drumeva & Monogram.

Für ihre achte CD des Jahrgangs 2009 hat sie beide Formationen ins Studio genommen, Tracks 1 bis 9 sind im September 2009 mit Monogram in Prag entstanden, Tracks 10 bis 15 im August mit Lilly Of The West in Sofia. Seit gut einem Jahr hat sie zur akustischen Gitarre auch die Fiddle addiert, die Aufnahmen sind ohne technischen Tricks wie Overdubs entstanden, so, als würde sie auf der Bühne spielen. "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome" und "If I Needed You" sind Duette mit Jakub Racek, dem Sänger von Monogram. Mit sehr viel Gefühl und einer wunderschönen Stimme sind die Aufnahmen liebevoll eingespielt worden, Gillian Welch's "Red Clay Halo" erweist sich als Perle unter Perlen. "Turn Away" ist eine wunderschöne Eigenkomposition von Lilly mit herrlicher Melodie und einem Rückblick auf das sonnige Bulgarien, denn das Lied ist 2001 entstanden, als sie für zwei Jahre im wettermäßig nicht so beglückten London lebte, das Heimweh hat schließlich obsiegt.

Mit Lilly Of The West ist auch ein wenig bulgarische Folklore ins neue Album eingeflossen, zwei Lieder gehen in diese Richtung. "Lovin' You" leitet insoweit den Stilwechsel ein, Bluegrass und Swing sind hier verwachsen, als habe es noch nie andersklingende Musik gegeben. Im Gegensatz zu vergleichbaren Künstlern aus den USA fehlen die Bluenotes, aber sie werden nicht vermisst, die klare, reine Musik im Stil irischer Folk Music ist ja eine der Wurzeln des Bluegrass. So sind die Aufnahmen dieser CD von unvergleichlicher Schönheit, das CD-Booklet enthält neben großartigen Fotos auch Informationen zu den Liedern und Musikern. Der Tipp schlechthin für einen kleinen Einkauf im Internet bei CD Baby. (Friedrich Hog)

Je viens de recevoir le cd de Lilly Drumeva intitulé Lovin' You Lilly est une chanteuse bulgare multiculturelle, sur cet album elle s'est adjoint les musiciens de Monogram (Craponne , l'un si ce n'est le meilleur groupe Tchèque avec Jakub Racek (Guitare et harmonies vocales), Zdenek Jahoda (mandoline), Jarda Jahoda (banjo), Pavel Lzicar (contrebasse) et Pepa Malina (Violon sur Cry Cry Darlin') Cet album est tout simplement EXCEPTIONNEL. Du Bluegrass tout en douceur et en finesse comme je l'aime.
Pas de la compétition technique comme on trouve trop souvent chez les groupes européens mais de l'émotion, de la douceur, du talent et de l'esthétique.
Le disque est disponible chez CD Baby à http://www.lillydrumeva.net/newsite/music.htm
et on risque de voir bientôt Lilly à Craponne 2011?

Georges Carrier
Country Rendez-vous festival, Creponne, France

(...."exceptional cd, not only for bluegrass standards, it has the heart, sweetness, finesse, talent, esthetic. All that I like"....)

Talking of old friends it was a pleasant surprise to receive Lilly Drumeva's latest CD "Lovin' You"... you can check out one of the tracks "If I needed you" which she sings on U-tube with Czech Republic "Monogram" guitarist Jakub Racek. This is an excellent CD and I think the tracks that she plays with "Monogram" are the best that she has produced so far. Apart from being a beautiful young Bulgarian lady, Lilly is also a talented singer and the Czech Republic band compliment her style perfectly. The European bands may never get that raw USA bluegrass sound BUT this CD is very well produced and played and deserves to be out there amongst all the other top bands. Lilly will always be a House of Plank favourite and since we first met her all those years ago

Lilly has developed into a good strong singer with a great feel for the music and the musicians with her on this recording are amongst the best in Europe . So in short!! A great CD that is well worth listening to!!

By Bryn Williams, North England Bluegrass - Jan 2010

Bulgaria/Czech Republic -- Lilly Drumeva's new country CD

Lilly Drumeva, a passionate champion of country music and bluegrass in her native Bulgaria, has a new CD out. Called "Lovin' you" it joins Lilly and her band, Lilly of the West, with some of the top Czech country and bluegrass musicians -- namely, the guys from the award-winning Czech band Monogram: Jakub Racek, Zdenek Jahoda, Jarda Jahoda and Pavel Lzicar, with guest Pepa Malina. Lilly has been collaborating with Monogram for more than a year -- I hear them in concert in Prague last March.

The CD was produced by Jakub Racek and recorded in both Bulgaria and the CZ. Tracks include bluegrass, swing, and country (including a cover of one of my favorite songs, Townes Van Zandt's "If I Needed You") and even a couple of Bulgaria folk tunes.

By Ruth Ellen Gruber, journalist - Jan 2010

"Time after Time" review
Le Cri du Coyote - Nov / Dec 2009

Pour LiLLY OF THE WEST vous excuserez le retard car Time After Time (disponible chez www.cdbaby.com) date de 2007 et le groupe est en train d'enregistrer l'album suivant, son septième depuis 1996. Le style de Lilly Of The West a des points en commun avec celui d'Alison Krauss & Union Station : des arrangements très travaillés, une contrebassiste (Svoboda Bozdugenova) qui privilégie la qualité du son plutôt que le nombre de notes, un altiste (Vladimir Michailov) plutôt qu'un fiddler (Alison Krauss utilise fréquemment l'alto), un guitariste (Yassen Vassilev) et un mandoliniste (l'Américain Jesse Brock qui a joué entre autres avec Lynn Morris et Chris Jones) qui tricotent des arpèges en dentelle. Ils sont tous excellents. L'atout majeur du groupe reste cependant la voix de Lilly Drumeva. Il y a souvent confusion entre le groupe et sa chanteuse, confusion entretenue par le fait qu'elle apparaît seule sur les pochettes de CD. Lilly a un timbre d'une étonnante pureté et d'une grande douceur. Dans la nébuleuse bluegrass/ country acoustique, je ne vois personne en Europe qui tienne la comparaison avec elle dans ce domaine. Par contre, ce n'est pas une chanteuse tout terrain. Sur la fin de Summerfly, ceux qui connaissent la version de Maura O'Connell trouveront que Lilly manque de puissance. Même constat pour la puissance mais aussi la tessiture aiguë pour Time After Time de Cindy Lauper. Par contre sa version de Once In A Very Blue Moon surclasse celles de Nanci Griffith et Mary Black. La ballade folk End Of The World lui va comme un gant. Elle vous met dans sa poche avec deux notes bleues au milieu d'une autre ballade, Rough Ride. J'ai même apprécié The Water Is Wide, slow song pourtant trop entendu mais qui a inspiré les musiciens du groupe. Les chansons qui conviennent à Lilly Drumeva peuvent aussi être plus rythmées comme le vif A Walk In The Irish Rain ou Canada Geese avec batterie et dobro. En plus d'être un formidable mandoliniste, Jesse Brock est un bon chanteur et le duo avec Lilly sur le classique All I Have To Do Is Dream est également très réussi. Promis ! le prochain Lilly Of The West, on vous en parle dès sa sortie.
Dominique FOSSE (in Le Cri du Coyote n° 113 Nov-Dec 2009)
www.lillydrumeva.net, www.myspace.com/lillyofthewest

"Delicate Bluegrass-flavored acoustic music that is highly recommended."

A mainstay of European bluegrass music for more than a dozen years, Bulgaria's Lilly Drumeva seam's to improve with time. Recorded in Sofia, for this latest album Lilly has chosen her material wisely, blending traditional songs, pop nuggets and folk tunes. What makes it all work so well is the freshness she brings to songs that frankly, over the years; I've probably heard a good too many times. This is particularly true of Cyndi Lauper's title song, which is given a delicate acoustic makeover. She takes Nancy Griffith's once in a very blue moon and makes it her own and even manages to add a new emotion to John Denver's leaving on a jet plan. Lilly's voice really shines as she sings with confidence and emotion on Cheryl Wheeler's summer fly.

Though Lilly's distinctive and sensitive vocals are the focal point of the album, she has also assembled some very good acoustic musicians to assist. The core band is Lilly on vocals and acoustic guitar, Yassen Vassilev (guitar), Vladimir Michailov (viola), Svoboda Bozduganova (upright bass) and Jesse Brock (mandolin, vocals) with guest players Rayko Pepelanov (guitar), Rossen Hristov (Dobro), Michail Shishkov (upright bass), Tsvetan Vlaykov (electric bass) and Pavlin Malinov (drums) adding to the mix. It is real refreshing to hear some traditional based music that has a contemporary feel to it. A delightful album, that should bring the discerning listener endless hours of listening pleasure.

"Time After Time", the latest CD from Lilly Of The West, was actually released several months ago, but we had waited for it to become widely available outside of Europe before posting about it on The Bluegrass Blog. Lilly is Lilly Drumeva, the Bulgarian singer and guitarist who not only fronts the band, but also hosts country and bluegrass music programming on Bulgarian TV and radio, and serves on the board of the European Bluegrass Music Association.

On this project, her approach is a bit different than in the past, with respect to both the material and the musicians. The songs are drawn from the repertoire of pop and folk classics, but the arrangements, and Lilly's distinctively understated delivery, clearly distinguish these versions from the familiar original - and many subsequent - recordings.
The title track was a major pop hit for Cindy Lauper, with other selections like Leaving On A Jet Plane, Just Once in A Very Blue Moon, The End Of The World and All I Have To Do Is Dream having also been radio hits over roughly a fifty year span. Folk favorites The Water Is Wide and A Walk In The Irish Rain are also included, along with one traditional Bulgarian folk song, Oblache Le Bialo.

Instead of putting together a band from among Europe's top bluegrass players, Drumeva picked prominent classical musicians and gave them a crash course in the ways of acoustic/bluegrass string music. American grasser Jesse Brock, who spent much of 2006 in Europe, plays mandolin, with Drumeva on guitar, Svoboda Bozduganova on bass, Yassen Vassilev on nylon string guitar, and in another departure from the norm, Vladimir Michailov on viola.

The arrangements have a subtle, almost restrained feel throughout; you might even describe it as parlor string music. With no banjo, the music is less aggressive than more traditional bluegrass-influenced music, but the impact of where Mr. Monroe's music has gone this past 60 years is clear.
You can hear audio samples from all but one of the CD's 11 tracks on CD Baby, where you can also purchase the album as either digital downloads or an audio CD.

"Time After Time"
featuring
Jesse Brock
2009 INTERNATIONAL
BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS
Mandolin Player of the year.

I first became aware of Lilly Drumeva as the lead singer for the band Lilly of the West when I reviewed her album Sail On the Wild, Wild Wind for Bluegrass Unlimited magazine. The exciting thing about her then, as now, was her extraordinary voice and the freshness of her approach in choosing songs - songs that too many times have become clichés to those of us listening in the USA. Without the cultural constraints that might prevent them from looking beyond the bounds of traditional sources of bluegrass and folk music, Lilly Drumeva and her band choose material from many sources, skillfully arranging and interpreting them in a way that is at once familiar and new and, at the same time, reflecting their Eastern European influences and upbringing.

Those of us fortunate enough to have seen or heard Lilly's music have discovered a pure singer with a serious grounding in traditional American music and an unmatched and appealing creativity that results in a fabulously satisfying listening experience. Her music continues to mature as time goes on, and this collection mines her imagination and influences in a way that makes us looking forward to hearing even more.

Archie Warnock
Reviewer and writer, Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, January 2007

"It was on the now defunct CMR (Country Music Radio For Europe) that I was first introduced to Lilly Drumeva and her band, Lilly Of The West. CMR, like Radio Caroline, beamed out across Europe via the Astra Satellite and Lilly's home country, Bulgaria, could receive the station. Eventually, I received a CD from Lilly and her band and it was 'Dear & Kind.'

I was immediately impressed at the level of musicianship and devotion to traditional American music, as well as the Celtic strains in evidence. Lilly made a guest appearance on CMR at the same time as Australia's Lynn Bowtell and, whilst it was essentially Lynn,s spot, I pulled in Lilly Drumeva to sing a duet and an impromptu Will The Circle Be Unbroken' proved to be one of those magic moments in live radio.

Lilly Drumeva now lives in London and her first album has been revitalised as a current UK release. Bluegrass music - and this is what Lilly Of The West are essentially all about seems to transcend geographical boundaries and, in the hand of sensitive musicians, tends to be a common language. There exists here a total understanding of traditional British/American music and the slightly 'accented' English seems to add to the CDs overall appeal. It also helps that Lilly Drumeva is a beautiful woman, but, unlike so many of her Nashville counterparts, is a real musician and one who is able to interpret traditional American music in such a distinctive way. There seems to be a common ground between the music of Bulgaria - Lilly's native land -and the Bluegrass music of Kentuck and it manifests itself perfectly throughout this wonderful album. There is something of Canada's Rankin Family about Lilly Of The West, in their experimentation with Celtic sounds and, indeed, Lilly turns in a moving and wholly sympathetic rendition of Raylene Rankin's 'Gillis Mountain,' while still being able to belt out an uptempo footstomper like Gretchen Peters' 'If Wishes Were Horses.' It's also extremely refreshing to hear Bulgarian folk songs like 'Sto Mi E Milo I Drago' and 'Daichovo Horo' being given the Bill Monroe treatment.

I know that Lilly and her band didn't find it easy in Bulgaria and hope that now her fortunes have changed and she is living here in the UK, this delightful lady finds success. This particular album was first recorded in Studio 5, at the National Palace of Culture, in Sofia and mixed and mastered by Ivo Yanev and Roumyana Stoyanov, with cover design by Marianna Tcholakova. It should also be mentioned that Tsvetan Vlaykov, played bass and added vocals; Rossen Hristov, picked banjo, played Dobro and added vocals and Rayko Pepelanov, added extra guitar, mandolin and vocals. Lilly played acoustic guitar.
Highly recommended to lovers of real country music."

-Bryan Chalker

"Lilly possesses a voice of astonishing purity and sweetness. I don’t know anyone in the European acoustic scene who sounds quite like her."
(Le cri du coyote, France October 2009)

"Lilly’s distinctively understated delivery, clearly distinguish these versions from the familiar originals"
(European Bluegrass Blog, September 2008)

"Delicate Bluegrass-flavored acoustic music that is highly recommended". Lilly’s voice really shines as she sings with confidence and emotion."

"A delightful album that should bring the discerning listener endless hours of listening pleasure."
(Maverick, United Kingdom, January 2008)

"...'Lilly' of Lilly of the West is Lilly Drumeva, a strikingly beautiful, red- headed Bulgarian singer and guitarist ... Singing in a delicate, almost fragile soprano... Original tunes, written by her and the topnotch Bulgarian musicians backing her up on this excellent project.... Lilly Drumeva has a very bright future in bluegrass music...Recommended..."
( BLUEGRASS UNLIMITED, USA )

"..Is she Europe's Alison Krauss?..True or not, Lilly Drumeva and her band Lilly of the West have been taking audiences by storm. ..They will certainly have many new fans wherever they sing and play their own, original brand of Bulgarian Bluegrass.and they deserve all the success they are getting!....Buy this one!..."
( Bluegrass EUROPE, Switzerland )

"...With an exceptional Eastern European quality of musicianship, sense of entertainment and dedication to their craft , this Bulgarian act are a bluegrass, country and folk phenomenon. Mixing original compositions with country music standards and the fragile, heartfelt vocals of lead singer Lilly Drumeva, they also combine Bulgarian folksongs to create an immensely unique experience..."
( Big Big Country Festival, Glasgow )

" ...Lilly of the West present one of the most accomplished and professional shows in Europe."
( British Bluegrass News, UK )

"..Fresh and natural...Lilly's voice reveals unusual warmth..The stunning beauty is a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist, specializing in bluegrass, country and folk music..instrumentally they reveal rare skills on banjo, Dobro and mandolin..."
( Country Music International )

"..Bulgaria's fantastic bluegrass band is build round the lead singing and charisma of Lilly Drumeva..She is not only a fine singer, but moving spirit in the Bulgarian bluegrass scene..The 13 tracks are an excellent showcase for Lilly's singing and the fine country voice of Tsvetan Vlaykov, they get a strong blend on the harmonies.. "
( Irish Bluegrass Music Association )

"...Bulgaria's music pioneers Lilly of the West are in the forefront of Eastern Europe's country music revolution...a band remarkably instrumentally skilled..Lilly Drumeva handles most of the lead vocals and her whispery delivery serves the delicate , acoustic-routed arrangements...Rossen Hristov's banjo work is powerful and solid...Rayko Pepelanov's mandolin , driving or delicate as the tune dictates and everything is underpinned by the solid bass playing of Tsvetan Vlaykov...Lilly's original 'Tears Roll Again' is a gentle stunner with heartfelt lyrics."
( County Music International )

"..Making waves - a Bulgarian woman on the move to change the environment around her...Sewing the seeds of bluegrass in Bulgaria.."
( Sofia Eco )

"..Sample a taste of Bulgaria...the four piece band revolves around lead singer Lilly Drumeva and is at the forefront of Bulgaria's country music scene...Lilly is a talented singer/songwriter and accomplished guitarist.Tsvetan Vlaykov plays a solid bass and adds some strong lead and harmony vocals..Rayko Pepelanov plays guitar and mandolin in a unique style.Rossen Hristov provides skillful contributions on banjo, Dobro and mandolin..."
(Evening Telegraph, Birmingham )