Blue Highway

Ralph Blizard, John Lilly | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 18, 2005)
• Original Release Date: February 18, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Oasis
• ASIN: B0007W115E
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,777 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bravest Cowboy

2. Peach Picking Time Down in Georgia

3. Ramblin’ Man

4. Leather Britches

5. Blue Highway

6. Dear Old Sunny South by the Sea

7. Richmond Blues (All Night Long)

8. Midnight on the Water

9. A Little Yodel Goes a Long Way

10. My Dixie Darling

11. Trouble in Mind

12. Somebody’s Waiting for Me

13. Intro

14. House of David Blues

15. Intro

16. What Does the Deep Sea Say?

17. Intro

18. Brand New Beau

19. Intro

20. Hell Among the Yearlings

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

Dedicated to the memory of Ralph Blizard (1918-2004)

Product Description

In the early 1990s, singer/guitarist John Lilly and legendary Tennessee fiddler Ralph Blizard crisscrossed the country, playing their own brand of old-time music. Traditional, yet inventive. Original, but deeply rooted. From Alaska to Florida, they thrilled audiences with soaring fiddle, timeless singing, and an engaging stage presence.

"Blue Highway" was their self-released cassette tape, issued in 1991. At the time, Ralph was 72 years old and John was 36. Out of print for several years, these recordings have now been digitally remixed, re-mastered, and reissued, along with 15 minutes of live bonus material.

Sit back and travel once more down the "Blue Highway" with John Lilly and Ralph Blizard.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, rollicking and tender old-time album by two virtuosos, August 28, 2005

By 

E. Folta "eafinct" (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Highway (Audio CD)

Reissued as a tribute to Ralph Blizard, the great and influential Appalachian fiddler who died in December 2004, this 1991 album generously showcases the guitar-playing, singing and songwriting talents of John Lilly, Ralph's musical partner in the late 80's and early 90's, alongside Ralph's lyrical and passionate style of "longbow" fiddling. Not bluegrass, this wide-ranging collection of new songs and traditional mountain, southern and western music is beautifully held together by the intensity of the musicianship and the devotion that both players display towards the music they love, as well as the humor and respect for each others' talents that they so obviously shared. As a bonus, the CD reissue includes several live tracks featuring Ralph as vocalist not included in the original release.

Standout cuts include the title song (a Lilly original which sounds like an old standard), the rollicking "Richmond Blues", and the heartbreaking covers of the traditional "Midnight on the Water" and "What Does the Deep Sea Say?". Also notable are John Lilly's vocals on Hank Williams's "Ramblin' Man", and the cover of one of Ralph's favorites, the weird and wonderful 20's jazz number, "House of David Blues".

For comparison, the listener will want to pick up the later "Southern Ramble" by Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers, or John Lilly's solo work, which cover much of the same musical ground. But this rewarding CD stands up to the best of those remarkable releases. Long out of print, this CD reissue is a real find for fans of American acoustic roots music.