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.

Share This

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.

Share This