Walter, I thought the name sounded familiar! What most surprised me was that although they look relatively young, they play the music with a sense of authority, like they’ve been doing it forever. A lot of the Americana bands sound like they were raised on Rock, only discovering bluegrass/hillbilly/etc. fairly recently. "Real" Bluegrass musician’s start playing at a young age (in some "rural" families, everybody plays and sings), and by the time they are in their teens are real good players and singers. Marty Stuart was hired by Lester Flatt when he was 14 years old!
The Steep Canyon Rangers
I just saw and heard on The Tonight Show a great group I was unaware of, The Steep Canyon Rangers, and they are great! Drumset, upright bass, acoustic guitar, harmonica, mandolin, and fiddle, and excellent 3-part harmony, doing a real good song. I gotta get a record!
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@bdp24 Yes, you are spot on. If you ever get a chance to go to Merlefest--Steep Canyon plays it about every year--you will see a bunch of kids who are already unbelievable musicians because they had guitars, banjos, or fiddles put in their hands as soon as they were old enough to hold them. Where I live (in Appalachia, and you better know how to pronounce it :)), there are scores of bluegrass family bands. Some make it big, while others go no further than playing summer barbecues, church socials, and county fairs, though they may be just as talented. It is most definitely part of the culture, just as you say. A lot of kids here grow up hearing it and playing it. Not all of them become Alison Krauss or Steep Canyon Rangers, but some do. If you ever get a chance, check out my neighbors, Balsam Range. Their music is right there with the Steep Canyon Boys, and Buddy Melton is as good a tenor as you'll hear anywhere. Great recordings, too. |
@bdp24 if you lived here you’d be home by now: [url]https://thevinylpress.com/steep-canyon-rangers-open/[/url]. |
Thanks a million Walter and Bill. Walter, unfortunately I’m on the West Coast (Vancouver, WA), so the only Bluegrass Festival in my neighborhood is the annual Hardly Strictly Festival in San Francisco, which all my old San Jose (hometown) friends go to. I haven’t made it to one yet, but intend to. Bill, I get email notices of your blogs/reviews, but hadn’t yet seen your review of the Joe Henry-produced SCR album. Excellent review, touching on everything, both musically and sonically. The music is my priority, good sound being a welcome bonus. I appreciated your mention of The Band, whom I was reminded of (in a modest way) while watching and listening to SCR on the TV. I love that SCR recorded a number of songs playing and singing live in the studio, as The Band did on their 2nd ("Brown") album. Gotta get the SCR LP! |
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