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