2007 has been a great year for bluegrass music and a bunch of great discs were released. I’ve consumed more music since we launched BluegrassJournal.com six months ago than I have in the last 2 years. Of all the CDs I’ve listened to this year, there’s a handful that continually find there way back to the CD player.

For my number one pick, I’ve got to go with “Gaining Wisdom” from Donna Hughes, released on Rounder Records.

I can’t seem to get enough of this disc. Hughes is one of the truly gifted talents in the business. “Gaining Wisdom” showcases Hughes’ considerable songwriting abilities that relate everyday observations of life’s trials and tribulations from a unique viewpoint that most anyone can relate to their own life in one way or another.

Hughes’ song-writing skills have a unique and endearing quality about them. On the surface, they can seem deceptively simple and down to earth with a casual listen, yet upon closer inspection they reveal a highly sophisticated and thought provoking commentary on life itself, with an inate ability to command the listener’s undivided attention, drawing one to reflect on the many different joys, sorrows and challenges faced in life.

An album like “Gaining Wisdom,” I suspect, would come to be considered a “landmark” album for many artists in the midst of a long and successful careers. For Hughes, a relatively unknown, to debut with a collection of songs and performances this impressive… it leaves me highly anticipating her next release.

In the number two spot “Lovin’ Pretty Women” from The Steep Canyon Rangers on Rebel Records is just a great album. From the songwriting to performances, “Lovin’ Pretty Women” hits all the bases. The Rangers’ music is firmly planted on the traditional side of the genre but the band brings an energy and vibe to their traditional sound that borrows from the “Newgrass” fork of the musical tree.

Having seen these guys back in September at the Franklin, Ky., Festival, The Steep Canyon Rangers can blow the doors off the barn and leave crowds beggin’ for more. I suspect a ton of great things to come from The Steep Canyon Rangers in the years to come.

The group’s banjo picker, Graham Sharp, had a hand in writing eight of the 12 cuts on the project and may very well be the Steep Canyon Ranger’s ace in the hole.

To the uninitiated, a top to bottom listen will leave the listener wondering if Monroe or some other luminary of the genre originally released these songs years ago. Sharp has a real gift for penning tunes that sound like instant classics.

The instrumental work on the disc showcases a group of musicians who have honed their craft from years of playing together on the road

Much like my Dad, Dan Tackett I couldn’t nail down a single CD for 3rd place so I’m going to have a tie here as well. My picks for third include two artist that hadn’t released albums in several years.

And the tie comes down to Tom T. Hall’s “Tom T Hall Sings Miss Dixie and Tom T.” on Blue Circle Records and Charlie Sizemore’s “Good News” on Rounder Records.

Tom T. Hall is as deserving of the title “National Treasure” as any I’ve heard it bestowed upon. He has a unique perspective on life and can tell stories unlike anyone.

“Tom T. Hal Sings Miss Dixie and Tom T.” was originally intended as a Christmas present for Miss Dixie, Hall’s significant other and songwriting partner. Lucky for all of us, this wonderful album was released on the Hall’s own Blue Circle Records.

Tom T. and Miss Dixie have always written songs centered around observations of the common man’s life, and this batch of tunes deals with many of the same types of examinations that immortalized characters like Clayton Delaney, The Hitchhiker, and Ravishing Ruby.

Compared to the production of the country hits Hall had in the ’70s and ’80s, the laid-back and stripped-down instrumentation provided by an all-acoustic (and all-star) band place Tom T.’s strong suits as a songwriter and storyteller squarely at the forefront. Hall’s vocal delivery on the entire album is right on the money with an honesty you only get from an artist who penned the material.

“Good News” from Charlie Sizemore on Rounder Records showcases Sizemore’s unequaled vocal delivery on a great batch of songs. From the down and out “Blame it on Vern”, the lighthearted “Alison’s Band” and “I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up” to the haunting civil war story “The Silver Bugle”, “Good News” is a great album and a long overdue return of one of Bluegrass’ great vocal stylists.

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.

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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What a wonderful year for great music! When asked my three favorite bluegrass CDs from the year, I put a great deal of thought into it. It’s incredibly hard to pick three from all the incredible music, especially in the bluegrass genre, that has been released the last 12 months. Here goes.

Jim Lauderdale - The Bluegrass Diaries (Yep Roc)

I really like the disc by Jim Lauderdale that came out in the fall, “The Bluegrass Diaries”. Produced by Randy Kohrs, it is terrific. You can’t go wrong with a Jim Lauderdale song; they are some of the most well written songs in any genre of music. There is also some fine musicianship on this disc, primarily from Kohrs, who contributes some of the premium dobro I heard all year. Cia Cherry Holmes sings some nice vocal accompaniment on a cut.

I never get tired of any Jim Lauderdale disc and this one is no exception. His songs get better the more you listen to them. The key is in the songs, he puts so much into his writing they tend to take on a life of their own on.

It appears Lauderdale genuinely has a love for bluegrass. This style of music is not just a gimmick but a legitimate art form for him. He did a couple of discs with Ralph Stanley and he seems to crave revisiting this sound from time to time.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand (Rounder)

The Robert Plant and Alison Krauss disc, “Raising Sand”, really grew on me. They created a very unique sound at the hands of T-Bone Burnett, the producer of the project. Burnett, as you recall, is the producer of the “O Brother, Where Art Thou” soundtrack.

Once again, the choice of material was what compelled me to listen to this disc, time and time again. Excellent musicianship, incredible vocals and great production all led to this being one of the best of the year.

The rumors are flying about a possible Led Zeppelin tour and also a tour of Plant and Krauss in 2008. For my money, if it can only be one tour, I’d rather see the Plant and Krauss tour come to fruition. I would also like to see more collaboration between these two on additional discs.

Levon Helm - Dirt Farmer

The final disc that came out close to the end of the year was the new Levon Helm CD, “Dirt Farmer”. I was hesitant to get this. The first concert I ever went to in 1970, when I was 16 years old, was The Band. I have been a fan of Levon Helm since. However, Levon for the last few years has been battling throat cancer and was told he would never sing anymore. When I broke down and bought this CD, I’m embarrassed to say I did it with some apprehension.

Boy, was the doctor who told him he would never sing wrong! I’m ashamed to say I had any hesitancy at all in getting this. Levon is back singing with a tremendous zeal and a heck of a lot of emotion. His voice tends to be a little frail at times, but honestly, it only adds to the songs.

Larry Campbell, who played with Dylan for many years, and Amy Helm, Levon’s daughter, did a nice job on the production duties here. Both contributed a great deal musically as well.

Campbell plays wonderful guitar and mandolin, and I was really impressed with the fiddle work he performed on this disc. It added to an old-time feel to the sound. They even cover an old Carter Family song, “Single Girl, Married Girl”.

In the case of Levon Helm, it’s astonishing to have him back and in such great shape musically. The voice of the classic, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”, should never be silenced again.

Those are my three favorites of this year. The year of 2008 is just around the corner and will be full of new music. I can’t wait. Have a great new year, one that is filled with music.

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Of all the CDs that have been slated for an upcoming release, The Steeldrivers self-titled debut on Rounder couldn’t find it’s way into my mailbox soon enough. I first heard some sound bites on The Steeldrivers Web site about 2 or 3 months ago and in that time I’ve gone back to their site a dozen times or more just to get a fix while waiting for the CD to show up. Well it finally got here and the wait was more than worth it.

For those unfamiliar, The Steeldrivers is comprised of some of Nashville’s finest songwriters and session musicians. The group includes Michael Henderson on mandolin, Tammy Rogers on fiddle and vocals, Richard Bailey on Banjo, Chris Stapleton on guitar and vocals with Mike Fleming holding down the bottom end and contributing on vocals.

Having been a big fan of Henderson since the mid Nineties when he released “First Blood,” a blues album that showcased Henderson’s gut-wrenching slide guitar playing on the Dead Reckoning label. Henderson’s guitar work has been on many Nashville releases, and he’s a gifted songwriter who has had cuts recorded by Trisha Yearwood, The Dixie Chicks, Travis Tritt and Randy Kohrs.

The Steeldrivers

Tammy Rogers was also a label mate with Henderson on Dead Reckoning, having released three albums on the label during the ’90s. She’s done stints on the road with Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood and Kieran Kane while he was on Atlantic Records. She’s been a prominent session player on the Nashville scene for the last 10 plus years playing sessions for Pam Tillis, Neil Diamond, Buddy Miller and several others.

For “The Steeldrivers” project, Michael Henderson and lead vocalist Chris Stapleton teamed up to write eight of the 11 tracks and Stapleton had a hand in co-writing the remaining three tracks. The songwriting is superb throughout the CD. Henderson has never been one to pander to the Nashville establishment in hopes of finding commercial success and his songwriting here with Stapleton continues to mine that same vein of integrity…music for only music’s sake.

It’s something new, different and exciting for bluegrass. It’s continually shifting gears, musically speaking, without ever losing continuity from song to song.

The influences on the album are varied, fresh and full of energy and run the gamut from traditional bluegrass, blues, country, soul and rock. Be forewarned that this isn’t a straight-up traditional album, though it has enough songs in that vein that should appease all but the staunchest die-hard traditionalists. It’s also not a “newgrass” album by any stretch of the imagination. It’s something new, different and exciting for bluegrass. It’s continually shifting gears, musically speaking, without ever losing continuity from song to song.

Vocally speaking, Chris Stapleton sings right up there with the best in the business on the traditional sounding songs. Stapleton ups the ante on a couple of the more genre bending numbers, singing like a man possessed - oozing pure unadulterated, raw, uncontrolled emotion and intensity.

Tammy Rogers and Mike Fleming’s harmony vocals on the record make for some of the most exciting and expressive backup vocals I’ve heard in a while. On some songs, they’re in such sync with Stapleton, matching him nuance for nuance.

Rogers’ fiddle work, featured throughout the record, demonstrates why she’s such an in-demand session player in Nashville. While she has a firm grasp on the bluegrass bag of tricks, she also has plenty of other influences to draw upon and manages to inject some new sounds and direction to the fiddle and it’s role in the genre’s standard instrumentation.

Richard Bailey’s banjo playing on the album is a lesson any aspiring banjo player should take note of. Bailey knows how to pick his spots, often playing the role of the great minimalist in support of the groove and the song. No need for a flurry of notes when three or four will get the job done to greater effect.

The common theme through out “The Steeldrivers” album is “The Song.” It’s as simple as: Write a great song. Arrange the instrumentation to put the song front and center. Add some stellar musicians who understand how to stay out of the song’s way. Add some influences not usually found in the genre. Record it live. Sit back and enjoy the magic.

by Travis Tackett

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… We have a final holiday treat for you. Actually, Gibson, the well known maker of fine acoustic instruments, has the treat for you. It’s tailor-made for the true-blue bluegrasser.

And, thanks to Greg Cahill of Special Consensus for passing this along. Have a look by clicking on this link:
http://www.gibson.com/Holiday2006Allstars.aspx

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Dailey & Vincent, the highly-anticipated new bluegrass duo on Rounder Records, will make their Grand Ole Opry debut on the December 29th show at the Ryman Auditorium.

Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent have performed on the Opry several times before—Jamie as lead vocalist for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and Darrin as a member of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder band.

“What a wonderful Christmas present for us!” said Vincent. “It’s always an honor and a humbling experience playing on the Opry, and to have this performance launch our career as a duo really makes it special.”

Friday, December 28th

Bradley Walker - 8:00-8:30

The Grascals - 9:00-9:30

Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press - 9:30-10:00

Saturday, December 29th

Dailey & Vincent - 6:30-7:00 & 9:30-10:00

Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys - 7:00-7:30

Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press - 7:30-8:00

The Grascals - 8:30-9:00 & 11:00-11:30

The Grand Ole Opry is broadcast live on WSM 650 AM radio, online at www.WSMonline.com and on XM Satellite Radio (XM 11). All listed times are central time.

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