Customer Reviews

Freedom Ride

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In 2002 the outlook for the now-on-hiatus Leftover Salmon seemed uncertain; however its co-founder, the great multi-instrumentalist Drew Emmitt (backed by the John Cowan Band), put out this wonderful album, Freedom Ride, in the wake of Salmon's unknown future. I immediately liked this album, and over time have started to really appreciate the subtleties that lie in its tight arrangements and mostly mid-tempo tunes; of course the title track and cover of J.J. Cale's "If You're Ever in Oklahoma" are total upbeat barnburners! Standout numbers also include "Valley of the Full Moon" and the traditional "Memories of Mother and Dad," on which they nail down a real old-timey sound. And there is a lot more to like on this album, including the familiar "Bend in the River," "Lonesome Road," and "Tangled Up in Blue" (all great), as well as a slew of guest performances from luminaries such as Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, Randy Scruggs and Vince Herman. After recently catching a stunning live performance by the Drew Emmitt Band (with guitarist Ross Martin, bassist Greg Garrison, and the awesome Matt Flinner on banjo), whether or not Leftover Salmon has run its course, Drew Emmitt shows no sign of slowing down. Hopefully, his new quartet heads into the studio soon to cut some new tracks and potentially show off the jams and frenetic instrumentation that we have all come to love!

What an outstanding disk! What a lineup! John Cowan (along with then-members of his outstanding band, including Luke Bulla on fiddle, Jeff Autrey on guitar, & the outstanding Scott Vestal on banjo), with appearances from Sam Bush, Ronnie McCoury, Stuart Duncan, Peter Rowan & fellow ex-Salmon Greg Garrison. The album gets off to an outstanding start with the title track, which is driven by Vestal's punchy banjo. He tosses off riffs like Bela Fleck did in the good ole days of Newgrass Revival; with Drew & John Cowan sounding very much like Sam & John did, the tune sounds like it could have been ripped from any NGR album. Bend in the River is a wonderful Cajun uptempo number, the one piece that sounds like it could have been on a LoS album. There are a number of midtempo & slower numbers that are tastefully done and feature Drew's vocals (eg, Solid Ground, One Step at a Time, Valley of the Moon). Paving Eisenhower is a wonderful bluegrass instrumental. If You're ever in Oklahoma & Tangled up are particular highlights. Memories of Mother & Dad is a very old timey bluegrass song, featuring Peter Rowan & Drew singing Carter family style, along with fiddle by Vassar Clements.

The net result is a more bluegrass-y feel than LoS, on balance, with the focus on the songs, as opposed to flashy playing (though these are among the top pickers around).

If you are a fan of Drew or Leftover Salmon, you already have this disk (sorry to be so late in coming to it myself). If, like me, you are a fan of Newgrass Revival, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, et al but somehow missed out on this one, don't wait any longer, just go out & buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Drew's album comes along at a time when bluegrass is hot again in the aftermath of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?". It's got some great original tunes, along with some pretty unusual covers (you'll never hear Dylan's "Tangled up in Blue" the same again). "Bend in the River, an Emmitt original, is a ripping Cajun romp, while "Lonesome Road" (another Emmitt original) is destined to become a new bluegrass classic.
Emmitt's mandolin chops run throughout the album, while guest appearance by some of the greatest names in contemporary bluegrass fill out the playing and the vocals. Buy it - you'll love it.