Our UK correspondent, Richard F Thompson, shares this review of a CD he found to be especially worthy.

Red Henry has been playing mandolin since the 1960s and he soon developed into what a Bluegrass Unlimited reviewer described as “one of the most prolific interpreters of Monroe-style mandolin picking”. This mastery is displayed not only in the playing of Bill Monroe’s many great instrumental pieces, but in the creation of original tunes that possess the characteristic intensity of Monroe’s music.

About six years ago Red’s Bluegrass Mandolin And Other Trouble (Arrandem AR-120) was praised for the stellar mandolin style and the inclusion on the CD of eight of his original tunes that sound like they’re 40 years old and the thoughtful rendition of some old favourites like Sleepy-Eyed John, Rawhide and Bluegrass Breakdown.

For Red’s latest CD, Helton Creek (Arrandem AR-200), the mix is much the same; three original tunes, two of which are each a descendant of one Monroe classic or other - Shawnee Land and the title track; some older numbers, both rare and no-so-rarely heard - Toy Heart, Chubby Anthony’s Stay Out Of Your Way, High On A Mountain, Remember You Love In My Dreams, a Stanley Brothers’ classic, The Flood Of ‘57 and Frank Wakefield’s Alone And Forsaken. Additionally, Red has, with the help of his guests, re-introduced some old fiddle tunes, Yellow Barber, Birdie and Bitter Creek, the story Clermont’s Visit To Georgia (not a word of which is true), the 16th century Divers And Lazarus and Murphy Henry’s unlisted cut Miss Nora’s Blues.

Red tells us a bit about the background to his writing and recording the title track ……..

“Helton Creek is a real place. It’s a small trout-fishing stream in the North Carolina mountains, where mandolin players (mostly members of the Co-Mando email group) gather once or twice each year for a weekend of music. So Helton Creek is significant in the mandolin music scene, and one day a couple of years ago, I thought I’d write a tune about it. (more…)