Customer Reviews

Here Today

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

. . . while David Grisman was taking a break from his ground-breaking "Dawg Music" came this gem of a traditional bluegrass album, featuring:

1) The rock-steady Herb Pederson on banjo (his letter-perfect reading of Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Chimes" and his break on "Hot Corn, Cold Corn" are required listening for any aspiring picker)

2) Spirited fiddling by James Buchannan

3) The always reliable Emory Gordy Jr. on bass

4) Pleasing vocals from the "Dawg" himself ("Little Miss Blue Eyes," "The Children Are Crying")

5) Some absolutely etherial singing by some longhair refugee from the country-rock scene by the name of Vince Gill ("Lonesome River," "Making Plans"). I hear he's had a bit of success since then.

It's always amazing to me how certain combinations of musicians find each other, what the common thread may be, and what they can produce (as well as what might have been . . . ). What's notable about this collection is the tight harmony singing of Gill, Grisman, and Pederson, particularly on "Making Plans" and The Osborne Brothers' classic "Once More." Truly a great one-shot effort.

Do yourself a favor and get this cd, if you like bluegrass you won't be disappointed. Along with a (much younger) Vince Gill appear the great Emory Gordy Jr, Jim Buchanan, Dave Grisman, and Herb Pedersen. If you know bluegrass, you already know what that means.

If they'd stayed together longer, they'd probably have been the "Traveling Wilburys" of bluegrass. The group is composed of a much-younger Vince Gill, Emory Gordy Jr, Jim Buchanan, Dave Grisman, and Herb Pedersen. For the most part, the music is bluegrass and country. The musicianship and harmonies on this collection is outstanding. These guys sing almost with one voice.

My favorites: "Foggy Mountain Chimes" with Hugh Pederson's outstanding picking, "Lonesome River" is just good all around, and "Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes" could have come off of "O Brother Where Art Thou."

If you love country or bluegrass, this hard to find collection is well worth snatching up.

Rebecca Kyle, June 2008

Alas, my computer would not allow me to preview the songs from the site. I have, however, heard the song Lonesome River done from this CD on a Nashville station. It is classic bluegrass that I could listen to repeatedly, for days on end, I believe. I will be purchasing this CD. I can't wait to here the rest of the songs. I am extremely hopeful that the rest of the selections will be as soul-satisfying as Lonesome River is. I actually would have awarded more stars, based on this one song, but thought that I really should hear more than one. Thus, I awarded 3 stars as sign of great expectations.