This column, containing brief reviews of recent CD releases by Richard Thompson, is published in the current (Spring 2009) edition of British Bluegrass News. As it is a lengthy piece, we have broken it into two parts, with the firt installment having run last Sunday.

A series of rambles about CDs by bluegrassmercury, part 2…

A big bundle of CDs has landed on my desk in the recent past. They include those by Danny Paisley, the Infamous Stringdusters, Williams & Clark Expedition, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, Daughters Of Bluegrass, High Windy, Gold Heart, Cherryholmes, Earl Scruggs, The Mashville Brigade, Crowe Brothers, Ralph Stanley II, Longview, Big Country Bluegrass.

The Daughters Of Bluegrass Bluegrass Bouquet (Blue Circle BCR 017) is an epic collection of some considerable magnitude, comprising 17 cuts and featuring over 50 ‚Äòdaughters.’ The first track, Proud To Be A Daughter of Bluegrass alone there are 20 ladies singing, 4 shouters and 6 pickers.

Those familiar with the Blue Circle label and the Good Home Grown Music group will recognise that this album is the product of Tom T Hall and our own Miss Dixie Hall. She’s a Boldmere, Birmingham girl! The duo penned all songs and most of the recording was done at the Hall’s home studio in Franklyn, Tennessee.

The quality of songs and singers is remarkably and consistently high, with many stand-out tracks (There Ought to Be) More to Love than This [sung by Lisa Ray]; I’m Gonna Love You Now [Frances Mooney]; Nobody Home [Lorraine Jordan]; the a cappella Go Up on the Mountain and Wait [with five-part harmonies]; I Made of a Flower Today and Scenes from an Old Country Graveyard, both with an old-time country feel; another with a gospel edge Take Me With You [Beth Lawrence]; Desmoranda [Valerie Smith]; Carolina State of Mind [Gina Britt]; and Everybody Got a Light [Beth Stevens]. In addition to the opening song, three others feature multiple lead vocalists. Overall, the ladies have produced an excellent album.

The latest album from Ralph Stanley II This One Is II (Lonesome Day Records 013) sees him striking out for a wider market than that which encapsulates the strict bluegrass fan. Stanley has a deeper voice than the late lamented Keith Whitley, but the similarities are very definitely there, just as they are with his uncle, Carter Stanley.

II, as he is known, has gathered together a bunch of top studio buddies; Tim Crouch (fiddle and guitar), Cody Kilby (guitar), Randy Kohrs (resophonic guitar), Harold Nixon (bass), Adam Steffey (mandolin) and Ron Stewart (banjo, utilised sparingly). Jim Lauderdale, Steve Gulley, Darrin Vincent, Marty Raybon and Dale Ann Bradley all provide some harmonic assistance.

Beginning with a Garth Brooks song, Cold Shoulder, II has included a Elton John song (Georgia) and one by Townes van Zandt (the beautifully melodious "Loretta") and another by Lyle Lovett (a driving bluegrass treatment of "L A County"). Also, in the ‚Äòcountry’ pigeon-hole are They Say I’ll Never Go Home, Honky Tonk Way and If This Old Guitar Could Talk. Train Songs is up-tempo offering from the pen of the ubiquitous Tom T Hall. Saving the very best for comment to the last there is the killer Moms Are the Reason Wild Flowers Grow and the equally heart-rendering Carter, the Fred Eaglesmith tribute to Carter Stanley. File under ‚ÄòGreat Music.’ (more…)

Johnny Williams released his most recent CD, Last Day of Galax, in August but we didn’t get a copy until this week. It clearly shows why Johnny has earned his reputation as among the most expressive singers of traditional bluegrass music we have on the scene today.

Johnny is in his element here, singing the sort of driving, soulful bluegrass that has been his staple for years, recording and performing with his wife in The Jeanette Williams Band, or as Johnny & Jeanette Williams. Joining him this album are Jeanette on bass, Chase Johner on mandolin, Tony Mabe and Debbie Yates on banjo, Billy Hawks and Kathleen O’Connell on fiddle, and Kenneth Berrier on steel guitar.

Williams is also a first rate songwriter, contributing 11 of the 15 tracks, 2 co-written with Tom T. and Dixie Hall. The title track is a lament he wrote some time ago as he was preparing to pack up and leave the legendary Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, VA. It nicely captures the once-a-year community that exists for this gathering, mixed with many of the familiar jam tunes heard in the field each year.

Another standout is his This Country Living’s Changing Every Day, which includes a clever lyric that will resonate with a lot of bluegrass fans.

This country living’s changing every day.
I spend all my time checking emails instead of bailing hay.
I’m computerized – with ATV’s replacing mules out in the barn.
This country living’s changing every day.I don’t know why I’m complaining ’cause my back don’t hurt this way.
This country living’s changing every day.

Johnny shows his classic country chops on Hank Williams’ I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You, and even covers The Allman Brothers’ Midnight Rider, which is now as standard in bluegrass as it is in the rock world.

His singing is strong and compelling throughout, with vocal support from Jeanette and Amber Collins. The rhythm section and soloists are spot on as well, and the songs are all honest, and sincerely performed.

Anyone who enjoys traditional bluegrass, country or old time music will surely want this one in their collection. Audio samples and online orders are enabled on the Jeanette Williams site.

A special Johnny Williams & Friends concert is scheduled for this Friday (10/17) at The Rex Theater in Galax, VA, featuring most of the performers from Last Day Of Galax. It will be broadcast on WBRF-FM 98.1 in SW VA, and streamed live online.

Williams is now working with Big Country Bluegrass, on guitar and lead vocals. You can find a tour schedule on their web site.

In March we reported news of the agreement between the newly-formed Mountain Roads Recordings and the long-lived traditional band from southwest Virginia, Big Country Bluegrass.

Now, we are informed that the first album resulting from that liaison, the premiere release from Mountain Roads Recordings of Bristol, TN, Open For Business, is released today, July 23.

Big Country Bluegrass is noted for delivering their own style of authentic hard-driving bluegrass that makes them crowd favourites wherever they perform from festivals and concerts across this country to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. With more than two decades of experience under their belts, the band offers the very best in traditional bluegrass music and has created what has already been described as their best album yet…. Open For Business.

The band is comprised of Tommy Sells on mandolin, Teresa Sells on rhythm guitar and vocals, Alan Mastin on acoustic upright bass fiddle, Jeff Michael on fiddle, rhythm guitar, clawhammer banjo and vocals, Lynwood Lunsford on banjo, lead guitar and baritone vocals and Johnny Williams on rhythm guitar and vocals.

Open For Business is a combination of old standards, traditional favourites, a new song by the prolific writing couple Tom T. and Miss Dixie Hall, All That’s Left, and the original song This Time I’ve Learned by Jeff Michael and his fiddle tune entitled Back Stop. The former features lead vocals by Jeff Michael with tenor by Teresa Sells.

The lead song, High Alleghenies, also has Jeff Michael singing lead along with Teresa Sells (high baritone) and Johnny Williams (tenor), thus showcasing the beautiful harmonies and drive of this group. Michael’s unique lead vocals can be heard on Ghost Of A Love, This Time I’ve Learned, Weary Traveller, I’ll Never Dream No More My Darling, Old Time Preacher Man, Old Kentucky Shore and The Bible’s True, an old time song attributed to Uncle Dave Macon, on which Lunsford play three-finger banjo and Michael plays in the clawhammer style. Williams assumes the role of lead vocalist on Nashville Jail and Just Another Broken Heart, while Teresa Sells does likewise on I’ve Lost You and I Guess I’ll Go On Dreaming. Lunsford showcases on an old Don Reno tune Banjo Riff.

The band is entering its twenty-second year in the business and this album demonstrates their outstanding musicianship and vocals. Each member possesses a unique style that, when combined, comes together in a performance that is their very best yet.

Look for Open For Business in iTunes and at CD Baby over the next few weeks.

The band is hosting a CD Release event on July 26 at Applewood Music Park in Cana, VA. Details can be found by calling (336) 325-0230.

The recently established Mountain Roads Recordings of Bristol, Tennessee, was formed by Karl and Gail Cooler to focus on unique sounds that originate in the mountains that we all love so well. They want to promote already established bluegrass and old time bands as well as to discover and present to the music community unknown, but nonetheless talented musicians.Currently Karl works for the City of Bristol, and Gail is a school librarian.

Mountain Road Recordings has signed its first recording artist, Big Country Bluegrass, a Southwest Virginia traditional bluegrass band currently entering its twenty-first year in the business. The band has begun recording sessions at Eastwood Studios in Cana, Virginia, and hopes to have its first project with Mountain Roads ready for release in early summer.

Big Country Bluegrass delivers an authentic, hard-driving style of bluegrass that has become known to many as ‘Galax’ or ‘Mount Airy’ style bluegrass and that makes them crowd favorites wherever they perform from festivals to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry.

The link up first came when the couple were living in South Carolina where they met Big Country Bluegrass. Subsequently Karl took on the driving responsibilities for Big Country Bluegrass. This he did over the period of 18 months or so, taking the band to festivals from Maine to Florida. Later Karl also became the webmaster of the Big Country Bluegrass website.

This past Christmas Tommy and Teresa Sells were visiting the Coolers at their home – now in Bristol, Tennessee – and the subject of the next Big Country Bluegrass album arose. Tommy told Karl that he didn’t have the time to be a record producer. Consequently the Coolers decided to form Mountain Roads Recordings and take their support of Big Country Bluegrass, bluegrass and old time music to the next level.

Gail Cooler provides a little background on how she and Karl decided on the charming name for the label …..

“We love traveling down beautiful mountain roads and going to bluegrass and old time festivals; that’s how we decided on the name of our label.”

Tommy Sells, in turn, commented …..

“We’re excited about the move and look forward to working with them.”

Big Country Bluegrass are Tommy Sells (mandolin), Teresa Sells (guitar and vocals), Jeff Michael (fiddle, lead guitar and vocals) Johnny Williams (rhythm guitar and vocals), Lynwood Lunsford (banjo and vocals) and Alan Mastin (acoustic bass fiddle).