The release on February 10 of 3 Silver Dollars (PRC 1168) marked the sixth Pinecastle Records album for David Parmley and Continental Divide.

Following the excellent Gospel collection, Church House Hymns, Parmley has switched tack and done what is mostly a secular album this time.

3 Silver Dollars features David Parmley on guitar and vocals, long-standing pal Dale Perry on banjo, guitar and vocals, bluegrass veteran, but relative newcomer to Continental Divide, Ron Spears on mandolin and vocals, with special guests, Ron Stewart on fiddle, Kyle Perkins on bass and Rhonda Vincent singing harmony vocals on Meadow On The Mountain (Where Mama Used To Pray).

For one of the 12 tracks on the album, Parmley has dug deep into family history by recording Pete Seeger’s Winsborough Cotton Mill Blues, a song that his father, Don, did over 40 years ago as a member of The Hillmen.

Other songs featured are Parmley’s cover of Country star Billy Currington’s That’s Just Me, the Tom T. and Dixie Hall-penned title track and two originals that Spears contributed, Carolina Rain and God Reached Down. Other well-established song writers, Ray Edwards (helped by Larry Cox and Jane Price) contributed Meadow On The Mountain and (helped by Terry Foust) Anniversary Of The Blues; and Robert Gateley with Ain’t Gonna Let You Drag Me Down, Dee Gaskin with Lilly Still Blooms In The Dell; and David Scott Coffey, with Refill Of Your Love, add plenty of contrast.

Audio samples can be found in The Music Shed, Pinecastle’s online retail vendor.