RUSSELL MOORE & IIIrd TYME OUT
PRIME TYME
Rural Rhythm
1085

IIIrd Tyme Out’s predictably first-rate new album might have been subtitled Love And Geography since several of the stand-out songs poignantly address themes of love and physical separation. Willis Alan Ramsey’s “Goodbye Old Missoula,” Milan Miller’s “Pretty Little Girl From Galax,” Milan Miller’s and Adam Wright’s “Little Magnolia,” Billy Smith’s and Bill Gordh’s “Whippoorwill,” and Mark Abramson’s and Paul Austin’s “If Your Heart Should Ever Roll This Way Again” all deal in different ways with romantic longing and geographical distance.

There’s obviously not much distance among the five members of this band, even though somewhere in the course of twenty years and sixteen albums, IIIrd Tyme Out became Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out. Undoubtedly, there were practical reasons for the name change, yet in the context of the music on Prime Tyme, there’s not a hint of any sort of ego-tripping on Moore’s part.

Time and time again—as on the last and perhaps best of these 14 tracks, Ronnie Bowman’s and Michael Garris’s deeply moving “What’s The World Coming To”—Moore subsumes his remarkable vocal gifts to the overall musical tapestry provided by his four very talented bandmates: Steve Dilling (banjo and harmony vocals), Wayne Benson (mandolin), Justen Haynes (fiddle and harmony vocals), and Edgar Loudermilk (upright bass and harmony vocals). (Rural Rhythm, P.O. Box 750, Mt. Juliet, TN 37121, www.ruralrhythm.com.) BA

YO-YO MA, STUART DUNCAN, EDGAR MEYER AND CHRIS THILE
THE GOAT RODEO SESSIONS
Sony Classical 88697 841182

Not long ago, classical string players might have sniffed sarcastically at the suggestion that bluegrass-influenced musicians could approach them in tone and technique. And the bluegrassers, in turn, would probably have scoffed that a real picker doesn’t know enough music theory to hurt their playing. Happily, such prejudices are being washed away by new waves of projects across musical idioms. The Goat Rodeo Sessions is of the best such collaborations yet.

Consider the sheer talent assembled here: Yo-Yo Ma, the most acclaimed classical cellist of his generation and one of the greatest of all time; Chris Thile, for whose mandolin artistry similar claims can be made; fiddler Stuart Duncan, a virtuoso of bluegrass and any range of old-time and country styles; and bassist Edgar Meyer, whose genius effortlessly encompasses classical, traditional and experimental acoustic music. Ma, Meyer, and Thile are not strangers, having played on several tracks of Ma’s 2008 holiday album Songs Of Joy And Peace. Duncan guested on Thile’s landmark 1994 debut Leading Off. And Meyers collaborated with Sam Bush and others on 1999’s Short Trip Home. Add the fresh, impassioned style of guest vocalist Aoife O’Donovan of the alternative bluegrass band Crooked Still, and you have an audacious lineup for an adventurous project.

Granted, the listener needs a similar sense of adventure. Hard-core traditionalists will probably find the neoclassical pieces maddeningly meandering. But frequent “On The Edge” readers may be enthralled as the four instrumentalist/composers make their individual statements, then brilliantly highlight each other’s work. By turns, the music gently cascades and riotously romps. The joy and mutual respect of these great talents is evident in every measure. It’s quite a ride.

Traditional sounds often take the center ring at the Goat Rodeo Sessions. The second section of the opening track “Attaboy” is as winning a reel as ever lifted a square- or contra dance. “Hill Justice” is strong, surging, and lonesome. (One can imagine what a banjo picker like Tony Trischka, Noam Pikelny, or Greg Lizst might have added to it.) It’s a tribute to Thile and Duncan that they are not in awe of the classically-trained musicians and can play with equal tone and precision. And it’s a tribute to Ma and Meyer that they have been so sincerely inspired by the soul of traditional-style music.

There are only two vocal tracks, but both are noteworthy. Chris Thile and Aoife O’Donovan match terrifically on the riveting “Here And Heaven” and the wistful “No One But You,” with beautifully blended timbres and timing. (I, for one, would like to hear more of their duets.)

A “goat rodeo,” it seems, is a high-risk situation, like a sudden plane landing, in which every factor must come together for success—or even survival. The Goat Rodeo Sessions crew has not only landed their craft in one shining piece, they’ve made it soar. (Sony Music Entertainment, 550 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10022, www.sonymasterworks.com.) RDS

DAILEY & VINCENT
THE GOSPEL SIDE OF DAILEY & VINCENT
Cracker Barrel/Rounder
11661-9214-2

Dailey & Vincent touch on a variety of religious music styles, including brother duet, traditional and contemporary bluegrass, country, and southern gospel, though curiously, not a cappella. Most basic in approach is their cover of Willie Nelson’s masterpiece of nostalgia and longed-for values, “Family Bible.” Pared instrumentally to just two guitars played in modified Carter-style and harmonized in a way that, at times, isolates their two voices, the track gives the purest showcasing of their vocals and is among the album’s mesmerizing best. That the song is oft-recorded does not matter in the least. Some songs are impervious to repetition, and while you won’t completely forget other versions, their spare approach makes it all the more achingly humble and emotional.

Vincent’s original “Until At Last I’m Home” also starts in spare fashion, but adds layers quickly. Encapsulated in its all-too-brief two-and-a-half minutes is a whirlwind history of the brother-duet style. Think of the way the Louvins moved from mandolin/guitar duets to a more complex band sound by the early ’60s, and you’ll have a feel for this wonderful track. From there, it’s an easy step to the up-tempo traditional bluegrass of “Living In The Kingdom Of God,” “Cast Aside,” and “Cross The River To The Other Side Of Jordan,” any one of which can be considered a standout track.

There, however, for the most part ends the bluegrass. Drums and piano and string and horn arrangements dominate most of the rest, and the sound shifts decidedly towards big production. While followers of bluegrass may have mixed thoughts about that, the music (including the “The Fourth Man In The Fire,” the rousing, lighthearted “Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of The Lord,” and Buck Owens’ “Eternal Vacation”) lacks nothing in the way of excellent performance and good spirit. (Cracker Barrel, P.O. Box 787, Lebanon, TN 37088, www.crackerbarrel.com.) BW

JUSSI SYREN AND THE GROUNDBREAKERS
SHAVE AND HAIR CUT
Goofin’ Fine Records
GRCD 6168

Sounding for all the world like they come from the mountains a couple of hours drive southwest of the BU offices in Virginia, this band hails from several thousand miles away in northeast Finland. Make no mistake about it, these guys deliver the goods, this is hard-driving bluegrass with an edge not heard since the likes of Red Allen. Syren sounds like a baritone Allen and sings with the force of a roadhouse warrior used to battling the ambient noise of clacking beer bottles and buzzed conversations. The band drives with an intensity, honed in performance. The songs are strong without being tired warhorses. Jake Landers’ “Secret Of The Water Fall,” Buzz Busby’s “Lost,” Carl Butler’s “My Tears Don’t Show,” all are fine performances. This is their seventh CD.

Tauri Oksala provides powerful banjo Scruggs-style and fine fingerpicked guitar on “Forgotten Grave” which also features a gospel quartet. Syren plays a brittle sounding mandolin that races along with the cutting precision of a scalpel. Guests Nelli Ikola and Marko Vanhatalo provide tasteful fiddle and resonator guitar respectively. J.P. Putkonen plays guitar, and Kari Hella ties it all together on bass. All of the bandmembers sing harmonies that add to the power of the arrangements.

If your taste runs to the hard-driving traditional bluegrass of decades ago, don’t miss this recording. While not perfect, they really get the sound right. (Goofin’ Records, Hämeetntie 46, 00500 Helsinki, Finland, www.goofinrecords.com.) RCB

BILL EMERSON & SWEET DIXIE
THE TOUCH OF TIME
Rural Rhythm
1091

As one of bluegrass music’s most legendary banjo players, Bill Emerson has a remarkable résumé of awards, accomplishments, and celebrated collaborations stretching back to the 1950s. This is the third album that Emerson, a co-founder of the Country Gentlemen, has recorded and produced with his current band Sweet Dixie. Not surprisingly, it displays the master’s touch at every turn and is propelled throughout by his stalwart and masterfully restrained rhythm and lead banjo work.

This seamless 12-track collection includes three high-spirited instrumentals composed by Emerson, along with various gems penned by Johnny Bond, Dolly Parton, and Stephanie Davis, as well as other assorted highlights. Lead vocals are handled by three different bandmembers with three distinct vocal styles—mandolin player Wayne Lanham, guitarist Chris Stifel, and bass player Teri Chism.

Particular standouts include “Today I Turned Your Picture To The Wall” (one of two songs penned by Pete Goble and a lovely showcase for Sweet Dixie’s vocal harmonies), “These Ones” (a high-strung instrumental composed by Emerson), and the powerful traditional lament “Little Pink.” Particularly memorable is the title cut, a folksy and philosophically poignant ballad written and movingly sung by guitarist Chris Stifel. (Rural Rhythm, P.O. Box 750, Mt. Juliet, TN 37121, www.ruralrhythm.com.) BA

MERL JOHNSON
BETTER MAN
Patuxent Music
PX-CD 229

One or two slight exceptions aside, the words “intense” or “driving” or “cutting” do not readily spring to mind listening to Merl Johnson’s new CD from Patuxent Music. His voice mellow, wistful, and dry, one that has elements of, among others, Mac Wiseman and Roland White, rarely hits a song hard. Moreover, like many musicians who approach their instruments in the same manner as they approach their singing, so does Johnson address his mandolin and fiddle work, both (again, with some exceptions) being offered in a light and precise manner that overflows with taste and clarity.

Those exceptions I keep alluding to are largely confined to his version of Carter Stanley’s “Sweetest Love.” On it, Johnson more or less lets fly and does so to good effect. One might also find some necessary intensity leaping from his cover of Bob Perilla’s murder ballad “The Briley Boys” and from his original instrumental tribute to the mandolin playing of Bill Monroe, “You’ll Find Monroe Written There.” His other original instrumental, “Amandalyn,” also gets up a bit of steam.

Beyond that, the predominant mood of the album is one of gentle nostalgia flowing from track to track. Covers of “All The Good Times Have Past And Gone,” Wiseman’s “Remember Me,” and “That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine” alternate with Bobby Hicks’ “Angel’s Waltz,” the old-time frolic and clawhammer and fiddle support of “Dance Around The Daisies,” and a lovely inspirational tune from Merl’s father Bob, “Power Of Prayer,” all creating for the listener a sense of warmth and relaxation and a recording that persuades you to lean in and focus.

Supporting Johnson well on this enjoyable recording are bassist Stefan Custodi, guitarist Danny Knicely, banjoists Dick Smith and Brennen Ernst, reso-guitarist Jay Starling, fiddlers Tad Marks and Jenny Leigh Obert, and vocalist Tom Mindte. (Patuxent Music, P.O. Box 572, Rockville, MD 20848, www.pxrec.com.) BW

ANDY STATMAN
OLD BROOKLYN
Shefa Records
HORN-3004/5

The “On The Edge” category in BU’s “Reviews” section was created to incorporate music that extends beyond the parameters of straight bluegrass, but still holds interest for some readers. At times, my tired fingers have accidentally typed “Over The Edge,” and perhaps that would be a fitting description for this amazing, essential, and daring recording.

Andy Statman has made a career of skillfully walking the tightrope of avid devotion to the soul of certain music traditions, such as bluegrass, klezmer, avant-garde jazz, or Jewish music. Whether channeling Bill Monroe or Albert Ayler, apprenticing under David Grisman or Dave Tarras, Statman has achieved an unmistakably identifiable voice on his instruments (mandolin and clarinet) unlike most other. His recorded canon has toggled back and forth from bluegrass to Jewish music, sometimes straddling both with his original compositions. Old Brooklyn may be his most ambitious attempt to integrate his varied influences. He brings in some of his regular musical collaborators on brass and rhythm, but also blends them with musical cohorts who may be more familiar—Ricky Skaggs, Byron Berline, Béla Fleck, Bruce Molsky, and Jon Sholle.

The results are amazing. Just a few seconds into the opening title track, his dissonant clarinet leaps in over Fleck’s rolling banjo. But the scene abruptly shifts to a much more familiar stylistic context, and hearing Fleck and Statman exchange ideas is enough reason to check out this recording. And surprises continue to abound. Statman and Skaggs have teamed up before on the latter’s albums. But a skin-tingling rendition of “The Lord Will Provide,” featuring only Skaggs’ voice and Statman’s mournful clarinet, is a tremendous evocation of a meeting of two cultures in the common ground of Old Testament devotion and ancient tones.

Unquestionably, much of this album will leave bluegrass traditionalists uneasy. But even if the one-of-a-kind stew of blues, Jewish melodies, and jazz are not your comfort zone, there is still so much that will appeal to this readership. There are lovely Statman/Molsky duets such as “Uncle Mo” and “Waltz For Mom,” the sweet pedal steel waltz of “A Brighter Day,” and joyous takes on “Y’All Come,” “Long Journey Home,” and “Sally Ann.” Even if this music were considered to have only one toe clinging to the edge, the distinctive mix of unique innovation and devotion to roots is deserving of recognition. Prepare to have your ears opened, but only so that music beyond most of our imaginations can enter. (Shefa Records, J.A.F. Box 7131, New York, NY 10116, www.andystatman.org.)HK

TOO BLUE
TROUBLE WITH THE GREY
No Label
No Number

I was sold on Too Blue’s sophomore CD from the moment I heard the vocals on the opening number “Face The Music.” Lead singer/banjo player Joan Harrison nails it. She’s just one of the four factors that make Too Blue an outstanding quartet. Betsy Rome (guitar/vocals), Michael Sassano (mandolin vocals), and Jamie Doris (bass) blend in with their virtuoso abilities for this group that bills itself as swing-grass, a combination of bluegrass and swing. Rob Hecht sizzles as the guest fiddler on six on the tracks. The group has the backing of Eric Gibson of the Gibson Brothers, the 2011 IBMA Vocal Group Of The Year and writer of the CD’s liner notes.

Harrison and Rome wrote seven of the songs original numbers between them. The nimble-fingered Sassano kicks up quite a storm with his instrumental “Twister” and “Grace’s Fancy”/“Murphy’s Rag.” The foursome also interpreted Patsy Cline’s classic “I Fall To Pieces” with a slightly more up-tempo pace and a sister-style harmonic blend. Doris provides a solid backing on bass, especially with the lively cadence he provides on “How Long Must I Wait For You.”

The 12-track disc concludes with “Mice In The Camper,” another instrumental that showcases the bandmembers adventuresome musicianship. Too Blue will leave you feeling anything but blue. Trouble With The Grey pumps up your spirits and demonstrates how music can be a powerful mood elevator for the soul. (Too Blue Music, 59 Ernest Rd., Stanfordville, NY 12581, www.toobluemusic.com.) BC

LAURIE LEWIS
SKIPPIN’ AND FLYIN’
Spruce and Maple Music
SMM-2006

Laurie Lewis’ Skippin’ And Flyin’ is one of many tributes to Bill Monroe produced in 2011, to highlight the hundredth anniversary of his birth. Lewis combines a mix of Monroe tunes and a mix of originals and old-time classics with a West Coast twist.

The CD opens with a different take on Monroe’s hit “Molly And Tenbrooks,” with “Old Ten Broeck,” borrowing from Cousin Emmy’s version and a 1929 recording by the Carver Boys and then adding lyrics from Mike Seeger with her own arrangement. This gives an up-front indication of the direction Skippin’ And Flyin’ might take. Other Monroe takes include “A Lonesome Road” and “Blue Moon Of Kentucky.” A tip of her hat also goes to the classic Blue Grass Boys, Flatt & Scruggs, with “What’s Good For You” and “I Don’t Care Anymore,” and also to Maybelle Carter with “Carter’s Blues.” Jimmie Rodgers’ “Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues” and Wilma Cooper’s “I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow” get a treatment as well.

Lewis originals include “The Pharaoh’s Daughter,” a song about the princess who saved Moses; “Hartfordtown 1994,” about a circus fire; and “American Chestnuts,” inspired by a photograph in National Geographic magazine. Lewis offers everything from swing fiddle to yodeling in what has to be one of the most varied of the numerous tributes to Big Mon. (Spruce and Maple Music, P.O. Box 9417, Berkeley, CA 94709, www.spruceandmaplemusic.com). MB

REUNION HILL BAND
No Label
No Number

Before I got to track number three, “Fox On The Run,” the Reunion Hill Band already had me thinking about the Country Gentlemen, as well as Jonathan Edwards’ work with the Seldom Scene and Northern Lights. The New Hampshire band similarly mixes hard-edged bluegrass picking with folk-style vocals. The name Reunion Hill, in fact, comes from a song by popular folk singer-songwriter Richard Shindell. The last track on the album, “Reunion Hill,” receives lovely, low-key and effective treatment more at home on AAA radio than bluegrass.

Guitarist Rich Schleckser, one of three lead vocalists, is perhaps best known as a frequent co-writer with New Hampshire’s most accomplished bluegrass composer, Rick Lang. Their songs here explore New England themes from a bluegrass perspective. He is a twenty-year veteran of the regional scene, playing in Iron Skillet as did mandolinist Rick Horton, who also shares the lead singing. While still just a kid, banjoist Kevin O’Connor learned from the extraordinary Don Stover, who had him picking with J.D. Crowe and Joe Val. Like Horton, he played in the American Flyer band. Bass player and lead singer Dave Ward became a member in 2010.

O’Connor’s five-string delights all the way through and highlights one of Reunion Hill’s two strong points: instrumental ability. From the initial notes, the lead track, Horton’s “Tangled In My Heart,” you sense these guys can pick. The other thing the members do quite well is write songs. The band enjoys three skillful songwriters providing two titles each by Ward, Horton, and Schleckser with Lang. These are not instrumentals made up in the studio, but fully realized compositions with substantial lyrics worth hearing. Ward’s “Mary Baker” addresses the problem of Alzheimer’s with verses that fit bluegrass tradition, for example.

Where the band falls somewhat short is in its choice of covers. These are not inspired choices and suggest an internal conflict embodied in this eponymous CD. The listener becomes confused about whether this is a serious artistic effort (seven songs) or the five familiar songs that get the best reaction at the farmers market gigs. The album includes six very good to first-rate original songs, one gorgeous folk cover, and five songs that have both been overdone in (and sometimes outside of) bluegrass that come from rock or pop music of the 1960s-1970s. That same ’60s vibe carries over into the vocals which sound more influenced by Tom Rush, CSN, and Phil Rosenthal than the Stanley Brothers, Lilly Brothers, or Doodle Thrower. (David Ward, 79 Forestview Dr., Spofford, NH 03462, www.reunionhillband.com.) AM

NOTHIN’ FANCY
Virginia Dreams Records
VDR-5566

This year is already shaping up as a good year for the long-running Virginia bluegrass band Nothin’ Fancy. At the end of last year, they released their ninth CD, the self-titled Nothin’ Fancy and, in February, captured the SPBGMA Entertaining Group Of The Year Award for the fourth time in five years.

The group begins their 18th year with this latest CD and long-time fans won’t be disappointed. Of the 12 tracks, vocalist/mandolinist/guitarist Mike Andes wrote six and bandmate/fiddler/multi-instrumentalist Chris Sexton penned one. The rest of the album is rounded out with tunes by Don Rigsby, John Fogerty, Shawn Byrne, Peter Rowan, and Dixie Hall. This group of writers delivers a well-rounded effort as Andes’ “Soldiers Letter” and “Fly Off The Hill” set the tone early, and “Things Will Never Be The Same” winds the recording down with hints of the Statler Brothers sound from the ’80s. Fogerty’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” is an old favorite, and Hall provides yet another winner with “Uncle Ernie’s Fiddle.” However, in an era when many groups are either shying away from instrumentals or using them for fillers, Sexton hits a home run with “Storm Clouds Over Manassas,” a fiddle-centric foot stomper featuring nice banjo work from Mitchell Davis. Of course, Nothin’ Fancy has become known for injecting humor into its live shows, and even the slowest reader can figure out that the track “Grandma Bought A Hog” will fill that role.

Tony Shorter on bass and Gary Farris on vocals round out a well-planned, solid effort. Fans who turn out to see this group at festivals all over the country will no doubt appreciate the recording and rank it among the best Nothin’ Fancy has turned out recently. (Nothin’ Fancy, 1972 Spruce Ave., Buena Vista, VA 24416, www.nothinfancybluegrass.com.) MB

ASPEN RUN
WANTED
No Label
No Number

Bluegrass fans who think there are no bands left that plow through straight-ahead classics and aren’t afraid to put out an entire album of cover tunes just need to acquaint themselves with Aspen Run, a regional outfit from Maryland. The group has only been together a few short years, with the youngest members having picked up their first instruments in 2005. Wanted is the band’s first CD, a packed disc featuring 19 hits that traditionalists will recognize and enjoy.

Aspen Run is made up of brothers Clayton (mandolin), Aaron (bass), and Herb Martin III (guitar), their dad Herb Martin, Jr., (guitar), Max Allison (banjo), and Steve Unkart (guitar). Clayton, Herb, Jr., Herb III, and Unkart share the vocal duties. The group mentions in their publicity that they are heavily influenced by Jimmy Martin, the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Johnson Mountain Boys, Del McCoury, Kody Norris, and Danny Paisley—a regular Traditional Bluegrass 101 course of study. Those influences show up in the familiar tunes on the album, particularly on the Stanleys’ “Sharecropper’s Son,” Martin’s trademarks “Sunny Side Of The Mountain,” “Theme Time,” and “Milwaukee Here I Come,” and Monroe’s “Rawhide.”

The recording quality is good, but doesn’t lose the aura of the festival stage sound, a hard trait to explain, but essential to a cover band’s success in bluegrass. Simply put, Wanted is made for those who love hard-driving bluegrass that goes back to the first generation of musicians, but has a modern twist. (Aspen Run, 2423 Neudecker Rd., Westminster, MD 21157, www.aspenrunbluegrass.com.) MB

SNYDER FAMILY BAND
STAGES
Mountain Roads
MRR-1013

Fans of family bands in bluegrass should be heartened—and should get out their wallets—as they will find Stages, the third release from the Snyder Family Band, a must-have. There is a lot to like about this album—nice song selection, extremely high-quality recording, and nice presentation. However, all of that is superseded by the incredible, clear, crisp vocals of a 12-year-old girl, lead vocalist and fiddler Samantha Snyder. While any writer hesitates to hang a label on such a young talent by making comparisons to already established stars, it is hard not to be reminded of Sierra Hull, not far removed from pre-teen prodigy status herself.

Samantha opens the CD with the title track, a tune she penned, along with a gospel track that is not to be missed, “The Perfect Sacrifice,” and the instrumental “Creekslide.” It doesn’t take much to see how the young lady captured the Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention title for bluegrass fiddle last year. Not to be overshadowed by the talents of his sister, 16-year-old Zeb provides strong work on guitar, alternating rhythm and picking that evidences why he is the reigning South Carolina State Guitar Champion. He wrote and showcases on the instrumentals “Goose Down Pillow” and “Sarah Joy.” Todd Rakestraw’s “Lord Don’t Forsake Me,” with vocals by Samantha and harmony vocals from her mother Laine, is the other gospel tune. An old traditional by Stephen Foster, “The Glendy Burke,” features vocals from the family’s youngest member, five-year-old Owen. Patriarch Bud keeps everyone in time with his solid work on bass.

This is a CD that gets better each time it cycles through the player. An instrumental of “I Am A Pilgrim” and “Angelina Baker” make for nice cover tune additions, and even J.J. Cale’s “Call Me The Breeze” (made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd) makes it on to the album, as well as an instrumental written by Wyatt Rice.

With years yet to grow into their considerable talents, count on the Snyder Family Band to move outside of regional favorite and onto a bigger stage. (Mountain Roads Recordings, 3192 Hwy. 421, Bristol, TN 37620, www.snyderfamilyband.com.) MB

VARIOUS ARTISTS
HOME CRAFT DAYS FESTIVAL
LEGEND & LEGACY 40th ANNIVERSARY
Mountain Empire Comm. Coll.
No Number

This two-CD collection of performances from the Home Craft Days Festival held at Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap, Va., is a good cross section of talent from the southwestern corner of Virginia, southeastern Kentucky, western North Carolina, and northeastern Tennessee. This project is taken from performances recorded live at the event. The region is rich in bluegrass, old-time, and gospel music. Much of what is presented here is true folk music. The music has a down-home quality that is as endearing as it is, at times, imperfect. There are stellar performances by former members of the Red Clay Ramblers with Joe Newberry, the Wolfe Brothers, the Whitetop Mountain Band, Wayne Henderson, and Robin & Linda Williams.

Altogether, there are 47 tracks reflecting much of the region’s music in a wide variety of styles. There are original songs such as Charlie Engle’s “Wait For The Rails To Hum,” the protest song “They Can’t Put It Back,” sung by Erie “Jack” Wright, to string band numbers by the Reed Island Rounders and the Boozy Creek String Band. Ada and Jimmy McCowan are represented by a fine rendition of a traditional number, “Come Along Little Buddy.” Carver, Hicks, Watson, and Newberry provide a highlight with the late Craig Johnson’s “Damned Old Piney Mountain.” There is gospel music from the Sherman Family Band, Generation Gap, the Lee Smith Singers, and Jim and Alberta Stanley. The whole project begins with a fine performance of “Red Rocking Chair” from Big Medicine of Raleigh, N.C.

If your tastes run toward down-home music performed honestly in a heartfelt manner, there is plenty here to like. This well-recorded project with extensive liner notes goes a long way to documenting and making available some of the rich traditional music that inhabits this corner of the world. (Mountain Empire Comm. Coll., 3441 Mountain Empire Rd., Big Stone Gap, VA 24219, www.mecc.edu.) RCB