Queen's Gambit is one of those groups that comes along every once in a great while, and you hope you are around to see it. We first learned of Queen's Gambit while reviewing a compilation CD "Sounds of the Village of Carlisle. While there were things to like about their contributions to the CD, there were definitely problems.

Some folks might not have been thrilled with a less than shining review, but Bruce took it in stride and good grace. His response was to the tune of, "We weren't happy with that either...but look what we can do now." And boy what they can do now is impressive. 

Queen's Gambit honestly cares about their fans and what their fans think. When the group was unhappy with their first release, "Opening Move", they re-recorded the album as "Opening Move - Take Two" and offered to exchange the old CD for the new...free of charge. 

That was an amazing act of graciousness by a group releasing their first CD. I wonder how many other groups would have the courage to take a risk like that. As it is, my understanding is that the surviving copies of "Opening Move" are now acting as coasters.

Since that release, Queen's Gambit has come a long way. Their latest CD, "Off the Board", is a far cry from that recalled CD. This new release is something mature (even if the subject matter isn't) and really shows off what Queen's Gambit can do.

Three (and a half) albums in two years and each one better than the rest. I've a feeling that they've just now hit their stride. Give them a listen, we here at Modern Bard think you might be pleasantly surprised.