Customer Reviews

Best Kept Secret

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Playing Time - 52:02 -- Just about two decades ago, Jerry Douglas had already established himself as the premier dobro player on the bluegrass scene. Fine albums on the Rounder, MCA and Sugar Hill labels were one of his legacies from the 1980s and 90s. "Slide Rule" and "Lookout for Hope" were two stupendous releases. Now associated with growing Koch Records, Douglas now appears headed in new electric directions that match up his resophonic guitars, Fender telecaster and lap steel with drums, B-3 organ, violin, guitars, bass, mandolin, banjo, saxophone and piano. Joining him on the journey are a number of friends, including Sam Bush and Bela Fleck who joined Jerry in the band, Strength in Numbers. Other key quests include Alison Krauss, John Fogerty, Bill Frisell, and Derek Trucks.

"The Best Kept Secret" may take a few by surprise. Bluegrass fans expecting a more acoustic or traditional sound will be displeased. On the other hand, fans of progressive country rock will immediately take to the dramatic opening salvo of the 6-minute "She Makes Me Want To Sing," with its driving guitar. The album appears to be a vehicle for Douglas' astonishing creative juices to freely flow, an even the most close-minded traditionalist has to appreciate the hot picking in the upbeat "Who's Your Uncle?" An album of enterprising undertaking, Douglas seems to enjoy the challenge of facing formidable tasks. It's actually pretty cool to hear Alison Krauss getting down and funky on "Back in Love Again." Assuming you like blues and country rock, this is the kind of music that grows on you with repeated listens. On my first few spins of the CD, orchestrated late at night after a long day, I took to the soothing effect of Joe Zawinul's "A Remark You Made" and Bob Willis classic "Swing Blues No. 1," sung by John Fogerty. Guitarist Bill Frisell trading licks on "Lil' RoRo," and Douglas' "Ya Ya etc." are packed with punch and intensity. Musicians appearing on most cuts are Gabe Witcher (violin, B-3), Keith Sewell (guitars), Shannon Forrest (drums, percussion), and Derek Jones (acoustic bass).

While many Nashville artists are getting more country or acoustic and a lot less rock `n' roll, Jerry Douglas is bucking that trend. I won't purport to say that he's going against the grain because he's never had a specific grain to follow. His objective has always been to simply produce stimulating music. With multiple Grammy awards under his belt, Jerry Douglas has the experience and smarts to know exactly what he's doing. His "Best Kept Secret" may be commercial and targeting a younger album-buying demographic. In any case, we know he's come to represent exceptional dobrology with broad influences. His aqueous compositions are full of excitement and energy. It's Playing Time - 52:02 -- Just about two decades ago, Jerry Douglas had already established himself as the premier dobro player on the bluegrass scene. Fine albums on the Rounder, MCA and Sugar Hill labels were one of his legacies from the 1980s and 90s. "Slide Rule" and "Lookout for Hope" were two stupendous releases. Now associated with growing Koch Records, Douglas now appears headed in new electric directions that match up his resophonic guitars, Fender telecaster and lap steel with drums, B-3 organ, violin, guitars, bass, mandolin, banjo, saxophone and piano. Joining him on the journey are a number of friends, including Sam Bush and Bela Fleck who joined Jerry in the band, Strength in Numbers. Other key quests include Alison Krauss, John Fogerty, Bill Frisell, and Derek Trucks.

"The Best Kept Secret" may take a few by surprise. Bluegrass fans expecting a more acoustic or traditional sound will be displeased. On the other hand, fans of progressive country rock will immediately take to the dramatic opening salvo of the 6-minute "She Makes Me Want To Sing," with its driving guitar. The album appears to be a vehicle for Douglas' astonishing creative juices to freely flow, an even the most close-minded traditionalist has to appreciate the hot picking in the upbeat "Who's Your Uncle?" An album of enterprising undertaking, Douglas seems to enjoy the challenge of facing formidable tasks. It's actually pretty cool to hear Alison Krauss getting down and funky on "Back in Love Again." Assuming you like blues and country rock, this is the kind of music that grows on you with repeated listens. On my first few spins of the CD, orchestrated late at night after a long day, I took to the soothing effect of Joe Zawinul's "A Remark You Made" and Bob Willis classic "Swing Blues No. 1," sung by John Fogerty. Guitarist Bill Frisell trading licks on "Lil' RoRo," and Douglas' "Ya Ya etc." are packed with punch and intensity. Musicians appearing on most cuts are Gabe Witcher (violin, B-3), Keith Sewell (guitars), Shannon Forrest (drums, percussion), and Derek Jones (acoustic bass).

While many Nashville artists are getting more country or acoustic and a lot less rock `n' roll, Jerry Douglas is bucking that trend. I won't purport to say that he's going against the grain because he's never had a specific grain to follow. His objective has always been to simply produce stimulating music. With multiple Grammy awards under his belt, Jerry Douglas has the experience and smarts to know exactly what he's doing. His "Best Kept Secret" may be commercial and targeting a younger album-buying demographic. In any case, we know he's come to represent exceptional dobrology with broad influences. His aqueous compositions are full of excitement and energy. It's another chapter in Flux's music book that illustrates the creative genius at work. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

Known for playing wicked bluegrass Dobro with Alison Krauss & Union Station, and adding vibey squareneck holler to hundreds of country albums, resonator king Jerry Douglas reveals exciting new sides of his musical persona on his latest solo record. Whether picking vocoder-drenched lap steel, trading hot licks with Derek Trucks, probing spacey blues with Bill Frisell, paying tribute to Weather Report with Joe Zawinul's "A Remark You Made," or tearing through hi-octane, new-acoustic riffage with Sam Bush and Béla Fleck, Douglas pushes his Tipton bar into fresh, adventurous realms. His fat, squishy electric tones contrast beautifully with his taut acoustic colors, and, as always, his intonation is perfect -- even at synapse-frying tempos. Krauss and John Fogerty each provide guest vocals (Krauss tackles L.T.D.'s funky 1977 hit "Back in Love Again," a real departure for her), but otherwise the album is an instrumental affair. The Best Kept Secret sets a new benchmark for lap slide virtuosity.

Jerry Douglas first caught my attention as the dobro player for Allison Krauss and Union Station. He has been called the Jimi Hendrix of the dobro.
Jerry is always in demand and has played with a list of artists too numerous to name.
I was at my local record store and saw this in the Bluegrass section. I was hesitant to buy this at first but decided, what the heck and bought it.
What I heard was not quite what I expected, but is none the less caught my attention.
Jerry has assembled Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Allison Krauss and the legandary Rocker John Fogerty to sing and play on this album. You also hear Derek Trucks who is with the Allman Brothers and is on tour with Eric Clapton. Trucks is a killer slide guitar player.

You not only hear great acoustic dobro, you also hear Blues slide guitar, and a little Rock as well, and even a talk box.
The song with John Fogerty to me is the best song on the CD.
I love the blues and Jerry plays blues dobro as Fogerty sings.
If you want a pleasanst surprise and want to hear a leganary musician as well, this is an album to consider. From time to time everyone takes a chance and buys an album that resonates, and they totally enjoy it. This is one of those albums.
I would recommend this CD to anyone, you wont be sorry.

Jerry Douglas has been on a roll with his last three projects, but this is probably my favorite of all of them. "Best Kept Secret" is even more diverse than his other recent solo albums, and the looser rhythm section allows the music to groove more. Douglas' soulful rendition of Weather Report's "A Remark You Made" is one of my favorite tracks of the year. Joe Zawinul must be proud. As always, there's at least one bluegrass barnburner on the album. "Who's Your Uncle" with Sam Bush and Bela Fleck doesn't disappoint.

Seriously, Douglas has only been the best dobro player on the planet for nearly 20 years, but now he has found a voice that is more personal, more unique, more eloquent than ever before. His partnership with violinist (not fiddler) Gabe Witcher gives Best Kept Secret a sound and an emotional depth that he has only previously approached now and again, as on his Tribute to Peader O'Donnell. Add to that a jazz(ier) rhythm section than we've heard before with Douglas, and that adds yet another dimension to the mix.

Put it all together and the title track, an almost ten-minute lament, becomes one of the two truly classic Douglas compositions (and performances) along with Hide and Seek. This is a masterpiece on a par--though sonically fairly far afield, as befits the passage of nearly 20 years--with the Telluride Sessions and Bela Fleck's Drive among the greatest New Grass ever played.

Jerry Douglas has been referred to as the Hendrix of acoustic music. His dobro and lap steel licks have earned him that title, but watching him perform is like watching Eric Clapton... Confident, laidback, and an incredible musician. I've been a fan ever since hearing his work with Union Station. 'The Best Kept Secret' is a cool album, very diversified, with vocal guests Alison Krauss and John Fogerty, and musicians like Bela Fleck and Derek Trucks. All the tracks get heavy airplay on the jazz, bluegrass, and other XM channels. It's impossible to put this album in any genre, there's something here for everyone. My favorite tracks are the slower dobro instrumentals.... ('snow's first fall', sir ali b., a remark you made)

Jerry as usual takes us on a ride with his dobro. Now his newest companion appears to be the lap steel. This time I believe he definately has escaped the Earth's atmospheric pull. He now goes outside the traditional bluegrass, blues, jazz galaxies, pioneering the resophonic guitar into uncharted territory (once again).
This album is "fantastic"...actually it is slightly beyond that because some of this work is beyond description.

"Ya Ya" goes the furthest, with the lap steel showing us he will continue to move into any musical genre in order to express his creativity.

Thanks for another journey!

This is simply a FANTASTIC all-around piece of work. Dobro with a wah-wah pedal ("Ya Ya Etc.")? Who'd have thunk it? Even if you're not a country/bluegrass/folk fan, it doesn't matter when Jerry Douglas gets busy - it's ALL good. When Alison Krauss introduces him as "the greatest dobro player the world has ever known," she's not kidding.

Not content with being the world's best dobro player, Jerry Douglas lays claim to being the world's best slide guitar player on this album. Listen to the opener 'She makes me want to sing' or the revived 'Back in Love again' with guest singer Alison Krauss taking an interesting new vocal route with some gutsy blues singing.

Whichever way he turns musically he produces albums of stunning originality and writing and playing of great beauty ('Sir Aly B', 'L'il Roro'). I'm sadly not a musician but it does not need much to tell that this is a player at the absolute peak of perfection. I have had the pleasure of seeing him live on a few occasions and the technical wizardry has to be seen to be believed.

And since Gabe Witcher has played with him for a while now, he has found an excellent foil - Witcher must potentially be in the Mark O'Connor/ Stuart Duncan class of fiddle/violin players.

I have never been disappointed in a JD album but I think that is because each is different. Although my favourite still remains Skip Hop and Wobble, this new album is destined to reside on the CD player and in the iPod with great regularity.

If you are a fan of Jerry Douglas, this cd will not disappoint. If you are a fan of the guitar in any genre, bluegrass, country, rock or jazz, you will be overwhelmed with the music on this cd. His best solo effort yet. I suspect because of the variety of music on this cd, it may not get the air play it merits. If you are even considering this purchase, don't hesitate.