Charlie Sizemore “Good News”

How’s this for a sales pitch from none other than Dr. Ralph Stanley:

“Charlie knows music and knows how to make it right. I would highly recommend this CD.”

That’s Charlie, as in Charlie Sizemore, and “this CD” is Sizemore’s new Rounder release, “Good News.” And, good news, it is, considering it’s been a five-year dry spell since his last recording project.

And, yes, the good Dr. Stanley knows about what he speaks. After all, Sizemore, at the tender age of 17, joined Stanley’s band to replace the then-departing Keith Whitley. He spent nine years with the Clinch Mountain Boys before heading on to start his own band and get a college education, which culminated in a law degree.

Sizemore tackles traditional and not-so-traditional sounds on “Good News,” while giving each track a real trademark Sizemore stamp, especially on the four new original tunes here, including the tongue-in-cheek “Alison’s Band,” which must have drawn some pretty hearty chuckles from Ms. Krauss, her bandmates and a wide circle of bluegrass insiders.

Charlie Sizemore photo by Señor McGuire

Alison Krauss isn’t the only one targeted for some good-natured fun on “Good News.” There’s also “Blame It on Vern,” a real hoot of a tribute to Vern Gosdin, known as country music’s “The Voice,” back not too many years ago when country music was … well, country. But that’s another story for another day.

Back to the current tale, Sizemore himself may deserve the title of The Voice in today’s bluegrass scene. He plays his smooth voice on “Good News” every bit as well as his highly capable pickers do their instruments on this CD. He glides Teflon-like high and then dips low, all with plenty of emotion to fit the tune at hand.

Living in flat, black-dirt Illinois all my life, the John Pennell/Harley Allen tune, “Devil on a Plow,” struck paydirt with me. Shades of Larry Cordle’s style of writing come through on this salute to a hard working dirt farmer.

“The Silver Bugle,” written by Sizemore and Tom T. and Dixie Hall, is a haunting telling of a Civil War legend rooted in Kentucky. The Hank Cochran/Craig Martin tear-jerker, “My Dying Day,” really draws on Sizemore’s ability to milk every drop of raw emotion from a lyric.

“Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart,” the Randy Travis hit, also is treated well by Sizemore and his band. The group includes Pennell playing bass, Danny Barnes on mandolin and other assorted utility chores, Matt DeSpain on resophonic guitars and Wayne Fields on banjo.

DeSpain gets his chance to shine vocally with the lead on “Hey Moon,” one of these feel-good, bouncy love tunes. Barnes also deserves a friendly nod for his contribution of the high harmony part on this fun song.

The CD is co-produced by Sizemore and Nashville ace Buddy Cannon, who has directed recorded projects by Kenny Chesney, George Jones, Reba McEntire and many others.

If there’s a lesson to be learned from “Good News,” it’s this: Sizemore, Rounder Records and other powers that be shouldn’t wait another five years before doing this again. Doing so would be bad news.

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The Fiddle Collection - Special Edition: Benny Martin

CMH Records this month released “The Fiddle Collection - Special Edition: Benny Martin,” an out-of-print album from 1977 that showcases Martin’s powerful, innovative fiddling.This, the first CD version of the classic fiddle album, includes bonus tracks featuring the late John Hartford, who had collaborated with Martin on some of his own classic off-the-wall albums.

The release has been re-mastered from the original studio tapes, according to CMH.

Included are classics such as “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” “The Fiddler’s Dream,” “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” “Lara’s Theme” and “Beautiful Dreamer.”

Round and robust Martin, who died in 2001, was known as “Big Tiger” or “Big Tige” among his bluegrass family, knicknames he garnered for his exuberant stage presence.

According to All Music Guide’s biography of the famous fiddler, Martin performed with many legends, including Bill Monroe, Hank Williams Sr., Roy Acuff, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Don Reno and Tom T. Hall.

In 2005, the International Bluegrass Music Association posthumously indicted Martin into its Hall of Honor.

The Jim & Jesse Story: Special Edition

Also released this month by CMH is another album reissue of “The Jim & Jesse Story: Special Edition,” which gives a song-by-song look at the McReynolds’ brothers careers. It also has been digitally remastered and includes four bonus tracks from the original vinyl release.

Known for its “Pickin’ On …” series of CD tributes to popular artists of all genres, CMH also just released a similar project,entitled “The Gospel According to Hank Williams: The Bluegrass Gospel Tribute.”

Details about the new releases and CMH’s extensive bluegrass-oriented catalog can be found at www.cmhrecords.com

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