Blue Highway "Some Day: The Fifteenth Anniversary Collection" (Rounder)

Last year, Blue Highway celebrated its 15th year of togetherness. And what a celebration it turned out to be — one for all of us to enjoy, thanks to the band’s latest CD, Some Day: The Fifteenth Anniversary Collection.

When I think of Blue Highway, one word comes to mind: “Deep.” The anniversary collection only confirms my thinking. This is no ordinary bluegrass aggregation. This is a group of outstanding musicians and vocalists who go deep (there’s that word again) inside their minds when they write and select songs to put on their albums. This collection is a wonderful showcase of the group’s great songwriting that’s usually out of the box.

Blue Highway includes guitarist Tim Stafford, bass player Wayne Taylor, mandolinist and multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lane, Dobro player Rob Ickes and Jason Burleson on banjo and other assorted instruments. They all sing and most have a hand in the songwriting.

I fell in love with the title cut from “Through the Window of a Train,” the band’s 2008 CD, and obviously a lot of other people had the same reaction. It was the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Song of the Year in ‘08. Co-written by Stafford and Steve Gulley, it’s a wonderful telling of a time in America when railroads criss-crossed the country and were part of daily life. Also on this new CD from the 2008 release is Shawn Lane’s “Sycamore Hollow,” a down-and-personal gritty episode from the Civil War. It fits so well into this 15th anniversary collection.

Two great songs on this CD, picked from the 2003 Wondrous Love album, are the a capella title cut “Wondrous Love” and the charming story song, “Seven Sundays in a Row,” the latter featuring some vocal help from Sonja Isaacs. Also in the gospel vein, this one from 2001’s Still Climbing Mountains, is “The Seventh Angel,” a beautiful and haunting melody with lyrics inspired by the New Testament’s Book of Revelations. Alison Krauss’s vocal tracks add to the depth and beauty of this cut.

Speaking of haunting, two other tunes on the anniversary collection easily create chills and goosebumps. One is “Marbletown,”, written by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits fame and the title cut from the band’s 2005 Rounder CD. It’s the only song on the CD that a band member didn’t have a hand in writing. But, Knopfler’s songwriting psyche on this particular creation mirrors the mindsets of the Blue Highway tune-smiths. The other haunting offering, “Bleeding for a Little Peace of Mind,” was co-written by Darrell Scott and band member Tim Stafford. Scott offers up the vocal on this song, a deeply depressing reflection of a deeply depressed soul. It’s heavy.

Perhaps as a consumer teaser, the group includes three new songs on this anniversary CD, including the above-mentioned Darrell Scott offering. And, there’s an instrumental from Dobro player Rob Ickes’ solo CD as well.

With the exception of the instrumental tracks, every song on this CD paints a pretty vivid picture and evokes a wide range of emotions, often deep emotions. Consistently brilliant songwriting as displayed here with great vocals and productions is a true gift. We, who buy and enjoy this CD, are the beneficiaries.

Related Links

• Blue Highway
• Rounder Records