In his 2009 musical memoir, Man of Constant Sorrow, Dr. Ralph Stanley writes, "I've got to thinking I need to do another album of sacred songs. I've been running it through my mind that I might do me one more CD. If I do, it'll be gospel. And it'll be the last one."
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, to say nothing of the artist's prerogative to change his mind, A Mother's Prayer (review copy courtesy Rebel Records; street date, Tuesday, April 19) is the last album we'll ever see from Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
Most artists at this stage in their careers would go out easy, surrounding themselves with famous friends, keeping the proceedings loose and relaxed.
Ralph Stanley is not most artists. The track listing for A Mother's Prayer exhibits a daring eclecticism, yet the overall sound is perhaps the most traditional he's achieved since the days of the Stanley Brothers.
New Bluegrass Songs from Shawn Lane, Ronnie Bowman, and More
"It's Time to Wake Up" is the first of two new tunes from Muscle Shoals minister and bluegrass gospel singer Marvin Morrow. (who also contributes "I'll Not Be Afraid"). The lyrics place Jesus at the center of the resurrection stories of Lazarus, repentant modern-day sinners, and the faithful who will be raised on the last day. Shelton Feazell, whose spine-tingling bass lines add an incomparable richness to the CD's four gospel quartets, guests on this stirring number.
"Let It Go" is an equally moving quartet from country/bluegrass songwriters Billy and Terry Smith, and country superstar Sara Evans. Luminous fiddle backup from Dewey Brown is the perfect counterpoint to heartfelt lyrics about how those who've reached a personal crossroads can relieve themselves of their burdens with Jesus' help.
The Stanley Brothers' duets provide the inspiration for three new songs that sound as though they were taken right out of the Stanley Brothers songbook."Let Him Into Your Heart," written by Clinch Mountain Boys fiddler, Dewey Brown. They offer a message of companionship from Jesus Christ to lonely travelers on life's highway.
"A Mother's Prayer," from Shawn Lane and Ronnie Bowman, praises the uncanny ability of a mother's constant prayer to set a wayward son on the right path, while "He Suffered for My Reward" -- written by Stanley's grandson, Nathan Stanley -- contrasts Jesus' divinity and majesty with His willingness to suffer so that Christians can have His friendship in this life and share His glory in the next.
Traditional Bluegrass Gospel Songs, Familiar and Obscure
"That Home Far Away," the first of two Stanley Brothers numbers, kicks off with Steve Sparkman's banjo, so reminiscent of Ralph Stanley's flinty, three-finger picking. Guest John Rigsby does fine work on lead vocals and mandolin.
"Come All Ye Tenderhearted" is reinterpreted as a solo, with Stanley's combination of singing and speaking evoking memories of heartbreaking old stories told on long winter nights. The droning fiddle/bowed bass backup enhances the ancient feel.
As Colin Escott writes in his liner notes, "Prince of Peace" and "Are You Washed In the Blood?" are two hymns from the late 19th century. The former, as obscure as the latter, is well-loved, is sung a capella, with Stanley's patented vocal twists and turns. It's marked by the serenity that exemplifies a long-held faith. The latter hymn explains how to achieve that serenity with a lovely old-style quartet.
Stanley makes a foray into black gospel with two numbers. Blind Willie Johnson's "John the Revelator" and "Lift Him Up, That's All" from Washington Phillips. The Phillips tune tells the story of Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well -- fraught with religious, social, and cultural tension, defused by Jesus' boundless love and singular focus on His earthly mission. James Alan Shelton's understated guitar lets the story and Stanley's solo vocals shine.
Ralph Stanley's "A Mother's Prayer" Is One for the Ages
The years have been kind to the voice of Ralph Stanley. In place of the cutting, high, lonesome tenor is a deeper, richer tone, suffused with gravity and profound stillness, but no less brambly for its timeworn quality. Like a worn and weathered treasure map, Ralph Stanley's voice and its final recorded testament point the way to incalculable riches.
Sources
- Escott, Colin. Liner Notes for A Mother's Prayer by Ralph Stanley. Charlottesville, VA. Rebel Records, 2010.
- Stanley, Dr. Ralph, with Eddie Dean. Man of Constant Sorrow. New York, NY. Gotham Books, 2009.
Diane Amov - Bluegrass singer/songwriter and classically-trained flautist who has written on bluegrass and American roots music since 2005.
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