Start throwing around phrases like "centennial," "tribute album," and "father of bluegrass music," and you're bound to be confronted with younger fans who profess much love for bluegrass but label it "old and a bit strange," as blogger "febvigrail" did in in a post from May 4, 2011. Even top-flight picker Chris Pandolfi decreed that bluegrass is "uncool" in this April 22, 2011 post on his Traditional + blog.
These abashed young fans may find common ground with hardcore traditionalists thanks to Audie Blaylock and his hot, young band, Redline, featuring Patrick McAvinue on fiddle, Russ Carson on banjo, and Reed Jones on bass.
Together with guest stars Bobby Osborne, Del McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Glen Duncan and Jason Carter, they've recorded a lively tribute to the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe, entitled I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky, mixing traditional tunes with a sound that's clean, contemporary, and stunningly competent.
Heartfelt Bluegrass Songs, Contemporary Bluegrass Style
Blaylock's pop-inflected lead vocals act as as astringent counterpoint to Monroe's deeply emotional lyrics on tunes like "My Little Georgia Rose" and "I Was Left On the Street," in which a grieving child, deserted by parents who can't afford to feed him, tells his story.
Blaylock finds the lonesome on "Out In the Cold World," about a mother who longs for her wayward son. On "Cry, Cry Darlin,'" Blaylock wails at the top of his range, packing real emotional punch. The shivery fiddle backup on the verse blossoms into an immaculate triple fiddle serenade as Glen Duncan and Jason Carter join McAvinue.
"When the Golden Leaves Begin to Fall" and "In Despair" are lovely trios and contemporary textbook examples of Monroe-style vocal harmony, as is "Lord, Lead Me On" a resonant gospel quartet.
Bluegrass Fiddle and Other Instrumental Fireworks
Despite these worthwhile vocal moments, instrumental work is Redline's strong suit. Backed by Jones' rock-solid bass and Blaylock's breakneck rhythm guitar, Redline's star players display their fearsome chops on some classic Bill Monroe tunes.
Monroe's music has always been both a proving ground and a showcase for bluegrass fiddlers, so it's fitting that Patrick McAvinue's work is emphasized here. His smooth-as-glass fiddling drives a brisk version of "I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky" and is equally at home in the heartbreaking "On the Old Kentucky Shore" (where Del McCoury adds a touching harmony vocal).
McAvinue and guest mandolinist Ronnie McCoury evoke hairpin turns on dark, deserted roads, echoed by Bobby Osborne's twisting vocal harmonies on "Mighty Dark to Travel." Glen Duncan and Jason Carter join McAvinue for some magical triple fiddle work on "You'll Find Her Name Written There." The fiddling trio closes the CD with a supersonic version of the instrumental "Tall Timber."
A Modern Spin on Bill Monroe's Bluegrass
With I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky, Audie Blaylock & Redline keep Bill Monroe's emphasis supercharged instrumental work intact while they pay a thoroughly modern tribute to the father of bluegrass music.
Sources
- Chris Pandolfi: Traditional +. April 22, 2011. Chris Pandolfi. May 26, 2011.
- What a D*****bag Blog. May 4, 2011. febvigrail. May 26, 2011.
- Audie Blaylock & Redline. 2011. Audie Blaylock & Redline. May 26, 2011.
- Smith, Richard D. Can't You Hear Me Callin'. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2000.
Diane Amov - Bluegrass singer/songwriter and classically-trained flautist who has written on bluegrass and American roots music since 2005.
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