Emerson Newton: A Foot In The Past, A Foot In The Future

Pinecastle Records – PRC 1074

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Home Run Man (2:15)
02 Long Gone Baby (3:03)
03 The Vow (3:12)
04 Wastin' Time (2:25)
05 Monrosine (4:30)
06 Opening Day (2:18)
07 Don't Cry To Me (2:39)
08 Just A Stone's Throw Away (2:56)
09 The Singer (2:56)
10 Wheels (2:49)
11 Little Bessie (4:25)
12 Headin' West (2:27)
[Credits]
Bill Emerson (banjo/vocals) Emory Lester (guitar/mandola/mandolin/vocals) Mark Newton (guitar/vocals) Bob Goff (bass/vocals) Rickie Simpkins (fiddle) Fred Travers (dobro)
Executive Producer: Tom Riggs, Producer: Mark Newton, Art Direction, Designer: Rebecca Pittard, Engineer: Peter Bonta
[Notes]
Solid straight-ahead bluegrass from a group comprised of masters both old and young. For old, we have the legendary Bill Emerson, banjo virtuoso and charter member of the proto-newgrass Country Gentleman; for young, we have the very fine singer and guitarist Mark Newton, as well as the equally fine mandolinist Emory Lester and bassist Bob Goff. Newton has a remarkably flexible voice -- compare his full-throated mountain roar on "Long Gone Baby" (a Neil Diamond song, believe it or not) to the gentler, higher-pitched tones he brings to bear on Larry McPeak's "The Vow." There are two Jimmy Martin covers, one a typical novelty tune ("Home Run Man") and the other a bitter kiss-off ("Don't Cry to Me"); the latter finds Emory Lester cross-picking a la Jesse McReynolds. The group's sound is strictly traditional, but there's nothing stuffy or academic about it. Great songs, tight harmonies, and virtuosic playing make this disc a delight from beginning to end. - AllMusic Review by Rick Anderson

The Award Winning Country Gentlemen

Rebel Records – SLP-1506

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Walking Down The Line (2:06)
A2 The Legend Of The Rebel Soldier (2:56)
A3 Redwood Hill (2:38)
A4 C.G. Express (2:24)
A5 Little Bessie (3:35)
A6 Old Pine Tree (3:06)
B1 Hickory Hollow's Tramp (2:31)
B2 Country Roads (2:32)
B3 Secret Of The Waterfall (3:06)
B4 Breakin It Down (2:24)
B5 Get In Line Buddy (2:14)
B6 New Freedom Bell (2:40)
[Credits]
Charlie Waller (guitar/vocals) Doyle Lawson (mandolin/vocals) Bill Emerson (banjo/vocals) Bill Yates (bass/vocals)
Liner Notes: Len Holsclaw, Photographer: Jim McGuire, Engineer: R.D. Homer
[Notes]
Not only does Award Winning Country Gentlemen culminate a major shift in direction for the Country Gentlemen, it is also quite possibly their finest album. Charlie Waller had to reassemble the group in the early '70s, bringing in a new lineup -- including mandolinist Doyle Lawson, bassist Bill Yates and banjoist Bill Emerson -- that helped move the Country Gentlemen even further into contemporary music. On Award Winning, the band covers songs by rock and folk songwriters like Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot, bringing a bluegrass attitude and instrumentation to the contemporary numbers. The result is a stunning record, with a great selection of songs and simply stunning musicianship.-- AllMusic Review by Thom Owens

Tony Rice: Plays And Sings Bluegrass

Rounder Records – CD 0253

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1993
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 I've Waited As Long As I Can (2:58)
02 Brown Mountain Light (3:40)
03 How Mountain Girls Can Love (2:26)
04 Carolina Star (3:09)
05 Thunderclouds Of Love (2:50)
06 On And On (3:04)
07 This Morning At Nine (2:18)
08 I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (3:12)
09 Galveston Flood (3:28)
10 Will You Be Loving Another Man (3:01)
11 Girl From The North Country (4:19)
12 Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (2:50)
13 I'll Stay Around (3:21)
[Credits]
Tony Rice (guitar/vocals) Bill Emerson (banjo/tenor vocals/baritone vocals) Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin/baritone vocals) John Duffey (mandolin/tenor vocals) and Larry Rice (tenor vocals) Sam Bush (mandolin/baritone vocals) Mike Auldridge (mandolin/dobro/baritone vocals) Jerry Douglas (dobro) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Mark Schatz (bass) Producers: Bill Wolf and Anthony Rice, Photographer: Tim Talley, Engineer: David Glasser
[Notes]
Tony Rice, one of the most innovative guitarists to emerge from the "third generation" of bluegrass musicians, returns to his roots on TONY RICE PLAYS AND SINGS BLUEGRASS, his first real bluegrass album since 1977. This collection of classics, mostly from the '50s and '60s, is given an exuberant reading by Rice and his band of bluegrass veterans. Rice's lead vocals evoke the "high lonesome" sound of Bill Monroe. His guitar work is stunning in its attack, rhythmic intensity, and choice of notes--his solo on Lester Flatt's "I'll Stay Around" twists and turns, hits a few pungent blue notes, and is gone, all in eight bars, while the guitar break on "Thunderclouds of Love" explodes in a flurry of notes and slurred jazz chords. Dobro star Jerry Douglas adds his unmistakable fluid touch. Bill Emerson, a founding member of the Country Gentlemen, is on hand to play some hellified banjo and to pass the torch. Balancing respect for tradition with modern virtuosity and willingness to take risks, TONY RICE PLAYS AND SINGS BLUEGRASS is about as good as it gets. -- AllMusic Review by AllMusic