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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