Claire Lynch fans have something to look forward to later this year. Rounder will be releasing a new project featuring ten tracks from previous Lynch albums, along with four newly re-recorded songs. It will be titled Crowd Favorites - a Claire Lynch Collection, and is projected for release in October.

Claire explained how the material was chosen:

“The songs were picked based upon several things - warm crowd response, frequent and repeated requests from fans, and even an informal poll I conducted with members of my mailing list. Then we have re-cut four other songs… old ones from Front Porch String Band days (Kennesaw Line, Wabash Cannonball and Hills of Alabam’) and another I wrote called The Day that Lester Died… from Mark Newton’s ‘girl project’ [Follow Me Back To The Fold - A Tribute To Women In Bluegrass] a few years ago.”

She produced these “new” tracks, and recorded them exclusively with the members of her band - Missy Raines, Jim Hurst and Jason Thomas.

I expressed my appreciation to Claire for revisiting Kennesaw Line, one of my favorite tracks from the Front Porch String Band days. It’s a Civil War ballad, based on a recounting by a Confederate soldier of events he witnessed as Sherman’s army engaged the southern forces near Marietta, GA.

I have no doubt that the Claire Lynch Band version will be superb as well.