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Northern California Bluegrass Society provides this CD review. You can find our most current reviews on our Message Board, where you can comment or query the author directly. Our monthly magazine, Bluegrass By the Bay also publishes them. Return to CD Reviews. |
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| Jim Lauderdale and Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys | I Feel Like Singing Today |
| Review by Brenda Hough | |
| Songs: I Feel Like Singing Today You’ll Find Her Name Written There Maple on the Hill Fly, Lovebird, Fly Joy, Joy, Joy Like Him I Wish Today Could Be Tomorrow Another Sinner’s Prayer Highway Through My Home What About You This World Is Not My Home Harbor of Love I Will Wait For You Who Will Sing For Me Who Thought The Railroad Wouldn’t Last |
Rebel Records Personnel: |
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With Ralph Stanley on the CD you can be sure that there will be lots of hard driving banjo and traditional harmonies and the listener will not be disappointed. Nine of the 15 songs were written by Lauderdale and it’s a tribute to his ability that many of them sound as if the songs were old bluegrass standards. The album opens with “I Feel Like Singing Today,” with Ralph’s banjo front and center. The album continues with the lonesome fiddle sound of “You’ll Find Her Name Written There,” an upbeat “I Wish Today Could Be Tomorrow,” and the social commentary of “Highway Through My Home.” Jim and Ralph combine their voices in close harmony on some Lauderdale originals including “Fly Lovebird Fly," and “I Will Wait For You” which sounds like a classic in the making. “Another Sinner’s Prayer,” and “Like Him” are great gospel numbers that belong in a country church but were recently written by Lauderdale. A tribute to the past is included with two Carter Stanley songs, “Harbor of Love,” and “Who Will Sing For Me.” The Clinch Mountain Boys do an admirable job of backing up the vocals with strong guitar solos from James Shelton and Ralph Stanley II, James Price on fiddle and mandolin, Steve Sparkman and Ralph Stanley on banjo and Jack Cooke on bass. With two guitars and two banjos, the band certainly has lots of drive and power and with the strong instrumentation and vocals, the CD should be popular with Jim Lauderdale country fans and Ralph Stanley bluegrass fans. Ralph ends the CD with “Does that suit you too, Papa?” Sure does! Ralph Stanley will be in the Bay Area in February and it will be interesting to see if any of the songs from this CD are now part of his show.
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