Sweet By and By Bluegrass Show tUesday Nights, 6:30-9pm with david smith
David's Top Bluegrass Releases of 2007 1) John Starling and Carolina Star – Slidin’ Home – With three founding members of the Seldom Scene and two current members of The Tony Rice Unit, this album is a shoe in for me for #1. The version of Little Feat’s “Willin’” should be heard by all. Starling is one of the greats. 2) Infamous Stringdusters – Fork in the Road – The “Dusters” went from being on the verge of being the next big thing, to being the next big thing, to just simply being THE big thing in modern bluegrass. This album has everything that makes the genre great: instrumentals, ballads, driving numbers, a murder song, love songs, and a song about Virginia. 3) The Seldom Scene – Scenechronized – This band means a lot to me personally as I grew up listening to them live back in Virginia. Dudley Connell is great on lead vocals. 4) Steep Canyon Rangers – Lovin’ Pretty Women – From winning the Rockygrass band contest, to being signed to Rebel Records, Steep Canyon has kept their ways of original, honest and driving bluegrass true. These guys do North Carolina right! 5) Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time – Took Up and Put Down – Larry Cordle has been keeping honky tonk alive and well in bluegrass for decades. He has several albums out with Lonesome Standard Time and they’re all great. 6) Big Fat Gap – A Brief History of Big Fat Gap – Here’s the unknown band of the list. They’re pretty much a local Chapel Hill, North Carolina band, but if you follow the world of bluegrass pickers under the age of 30, you’ll see some of the best names in southeastern picking in this band. 7) Don Rigsby and Midnight Call – Hillbilly Heartache – Rigsby has been in several incredible bluegrass bands over the last many years. Now he’s fronting his own group. The “Kentucky Waltz” on this album is one of the best I’ve ever heard (sorry Mr. Osborne). 8) Jim Lauderdale – Bluegrass Daries – There’s nobody quite like Jim Lauderdale. I Tai-chi in the park sort of guy, wearing embroidered two piece western suits on stage – this album just got nominated for a Grammy, find out why. 9) Larry Sparks – Last Suit you Wear – Here is my classic for the list. Sparks is a legend and over the last year or two he’s put out two great, great albums. Hearing Del McCoury singing tenor chorus parts on this album is a real treat. 10) Sweet Sunny South – Showtime – Out of Paonia? That right, a band from Colorado made my list. SSS has a knack for writing original songs that are extremely catchy and clever.
Note from David: check out three of the bands mentioned above at the 14th annual Durango Bluegrass Meltdown, April 11th, 12th and 13th. Jim Lauderdale and The Infamous Stringdusters are two of the headliners! Sweet Sunny South will be a regional band as well as hosting an Old Time Dance. www.durangomeltdown.com
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