Patience, it seems, always has its rewards.

Don Anderson, a West Virginia songwriter, undoubtedly would agree. He finally finished his third CD of his own material, a recording project that was started in 2001. According to co-producer John Titus, health problems sidelined Anderson until recently, when he was able to return to the studio.

Don Anderson - The Wrinkles on His Face

The result is “The Wrinkles on His Face,” a 12-cut offering penned largely by Anderson, who does all the lead vocal work and also plays bass on the album. The long road to getting this CD finished definitely has a reward — it’s a fine collection of well-produced, well-performed material.

Since I’ve started reviewing CDs for BluegrassJournal.com, I’ve found it can be a roller-coaster experience. Sure, I know what to expect when I pop a new IIIrd Tyme Out CD or one by Ralph Stanley in the player. It’s the Don Andersons of the bluegrass world, the unknowns, that create the peaks and valleys of the CD critique world. You just never know what you’re going to hear.

I’m happy to report Don Anderson and his group of songs soar pretty high to the peak side of things. Anderson has a pleasant voice, perhaps more traditional country than high-lonesome bluegrass, and he’s a good songwriter. His songs run the gamut, from the old-timey, hard-driving sound of “Sally’s Fool,” which is the CD’s first cut; to the Merle Haggard-like “Silver Eagle,” definitely a road musician’s lament; to the gospel, “We’ll Meet Again.”

Songwriters like Anderson, I believe, are a bit like an open book, letting the listener get a close glimpse inside their lives. Anderson’s tunes definitely have that touch.

The musicianship is another shining factor for this CD. Titus said he recorded the rhythm guitar (by Tommy Anderson) and mandolin tracks in 2001. The mandolin contributions sizzle, courtesy of Alan Perdue, Mountain Heart’s original mandolin player who went on to do a stint with IIIrd Tyme Out. Also noteworthy are the banjo acrobatics of Ramie Bennett, some nice Dobro work by Bruce Jones and fiddle licks by Owen Saunders, who spent with Doyle Lawson’s Quicksilver.

It’s a pretty impressive lineup of musicians backing up a genuine, earthy singer and his equally earthy songs.

“Wrinkle on His Face” is the second CD I’ve heard in recent weeks from Titus’s studio, J&V Audio in Camden, W. Va. Both have been top-notch productions. Titus, incidentally, is on the verge of opening a new studio that will be inside a log-cabin-style structure. In his liner notes, Don Anderson mentions Titus’s new studio and his desire to be one of the first to record there.

We’re waiting to hear more.

Editor’s Note: For more information on “The Wrinkles on His Face” contact John Titus at (304)-269-6179

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