Donna Ulisse (pronounced "you-liss-ee") has a evocative voice that makes you want to listen.  In our hectic and scurried lives where every trifle screams for our attention, it's a challenge to be still to listen to God's small still voice.  Listening to Ulisse's "I Am a Child of God" is like taking a walk through the pubescent fields cooed in the floral chroma of omnipresent evergreens.  And in the midst of such tranquility Ulisse's Appalachian crystal-clear voice comes across like the rustling waters flowing from the craggy watersides bathed in the sun-tempered warmth.  Here it is not difficult to hear God's voice speaking in nature's soothing narration over these scripturally-informed songs.  Donna Ulisse is bluegrass music's treasure; in fact, she is of the same class of excellence as Rhonda Vincent and Alison Krauss.  But Ulisse did not start off singing bluegrass.  In 1991, her first dabble in commercial music was with country when Atlantic Nashville Records released one of the most criminally overlooked efforts "Trouble at the Door."  Though now out of print, the record contains some of country music's finest gems including "Things Are Mostly Fine," "Legend in My Heart" and "My Broken Heart's Breaking All Over Town."

Six years after being disillusioned by Nashville, Ulisse decided to listen to her heart's calling. Teaming up with her husband Rick Stanley, they began dabbling in their first foray into bluegrass music with the relese of 2007's "When I Look Back."  And when the bluegrass community heard of Stanley's involvement, they began warming up to Ulisse.  This is because Rick Stanley is the cousin of bluegrass immortals Ralph and Carter Stanley.  Though Ulisse has often adorned the bluegrass moniker, throughout all her bluegrass albums she has always included songs that give expression to her faith.  In fact, in 2010 she released a completely bluegrass-gospel record appropriately entitled "Holy Water."  Now in 2013 we are with yet another album full of Christian bluegrass offerings.   "I Am a Child of God" is a collecton of 10 songs, 2 of which are newly recorded for the album, with the rest lifted from Ulisse's former bluegrass CDs.

The two new cuts, "This is My Father's World" and "Wait a Little Longer Please Jesus" are a departure for Ulisse.  Ever since her sui genesis in bluegrass, she has always abided with Keith Sewell (who is a stalwart bluegrass artist himself).  This time these couple of new cuts are helmed by Ulisse and Bryon Sutton.  Sutton is a Grammy winning instrumentalist who first came to fame via Ricky Skaggs' Kentucky Thunder band.  Of the duo of new songs, "This is My Father's World," Ulisse's take of the old hymn, is breathlessly beautiful.  Unfolding in a rural setting with the soft swathing of acoustic guitars and oboe that makes us loose ourselves in the halcyon haze of God's sovereignty, Ulisse's version of "This is My Father's World" is unforgettably gorgeous.

As for the rest of the cuts, it's surprising that no cuts have been taken from her "Holy Waters" record while four were abstracted from her bluegrass debut "When I Look Back." From that oeuvre is the powerful romp "I'm Calling Heaven Down" that totally eradicates our often diminished view of prayer.  While "I Want to Gow Old With You" speaks of marital fidelity in such a way that will warm the heart of the most insecure spouse: "Those little lines on your face grow more beautiful each day/I want to grow old with you."  If you are into bluegrass romps of spitfire guitar licks and lightning tossed banjos, "The Key," "I Am a Child of God" and "Everything Has Changed" are sure to satisfy.  With the undertone of rustic beauty, faith-woven wisdom and a life experiences of a woman who has lived, Donna Ulisse has the voice that mends the bleeding heart and beings hope to the downtrodden.  At the end of the day, this is a wonderful collection that will make you rejoicing that we are children of God.