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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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| Clay Hess | Red Haired Boy |
| Review by Brenda Hough | |
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Songs: True Blue You Found Another Just To Hear You Say Blessed Assurance Home Sweet Home He Paid The Price Nailed to the Cross Songs for a Winter's Night Daybreak in Dixie Our Last Goodbye |
Lavenir Records CD 1032 |
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Clay Hess is best known as the lead guitarist in Ricky Skaggs' band, Kentucky Thunder, and this solo CD gives Clay a chance to show his other musical talents. Clay wrote three of the songs and his sincere, engaging voice tells the timeless stories of love gone astray and the lonely life of a road musician. There is also a trio of gospel songs: the traditional "Blessed Assurance" and "Nailed to the Cross" and a recent song by Josh Manning with vocal harmonies from Jon Belew, Ronnie Stewart and Roddy Vance. The vocal highlight of the album is Clay's version of Gordon Lightfoot's "Song for a Winter's Night." It's a great love song and the instrumental setting features some of Clay's best picking. But flatpicking guitar fans won't be disappointed by this album. Clay shows his wonderful tone and rhythm in the opening cut, "Nashville Blues," and he is joined by Andy Leftwich on mandolin and fiddle, Jim Britton on banjo and Darrin Vincent on bass. The fellows put the instruments in overdrive when they launch into Ralph Stanley's "Daybreak in Dixie" with the mandolin and guitar trying to squeeze in as many notes as possible in each second. "Home, Sweet, Home" has a cozy feel, and you can imagine sitting around the fireplace listening to this trio trading lead melodies on banjo, guitar and fiddle. Clay is now part of two new bands, Stillwaters and Bluecreek so we should be seeing more of him on the festival circuits. |
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