Maurice Hope – August 16, 2016 at 06:35PM
Tags:_AMERICANA
In pairing Good ‘N’ Country (1960) and Country Music Time (1962) the listener has the opportunity of not only owning the late King Of Bluegrass legend, Jimmy Martin’s first solo albums but some his best work! Previous to performing with his band, The Sunny Mountain Boys Martin had played guitar and sang lead for Bill Monroe as a member of Monroe’s famed Blue Grass Boys (1949-1954). He joined the father of bluegrass aged 22, and went on to help Bill Monroe broaden his music and simultaneously his own.
Among Martin’s great feats, you can list the fact he performed on all three of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will The Circle Be Unbroken recordings. Honest as the day is long, Martin might never have seen the rewards his music warranted, due to his out-spoken, and on occasions blunt manner but within bluegrass circles he was the man by whom quality standards were measured.
Compositions are from Martin aided by a cover or two plus two traditional tunes (“Cripple Creek” and one of the sets many genuine highlights “All The Good Times Are Past And Gone”). His rousing version of the ever popular “Grand Ole Opry Song” backed by “Hit Parade Of Love” and There Ain’t Nobody Gonna Miss When I’m Gone” are pure as water from a mountain spring bluegrass. Both the picking and Martin’s high lonesome lead vocals are of an incredible standard, and with the set packed from floor to ceiling with top-class fare the collection spills over with great music.
Most tunes are typical bluegrass although Country is used in titles of both records, fast and furious and entertaining. What a baptism it would be for someone if they were an aspiring artist, and were asked to fill in for someone in the band. So hot the picking, and I have to mention the sublime harmonies.
On the subject of superbly tight harmony vocals a must listen is “Who’ll Sing For Me”. I don’t believe there are words that anywhere near qualify to do the four-part vocal performance justice.
There’s more too as in gospel ripper “I Like To Hear ‘Em Preach It” and two easy paced tunes in “Don’t Give Your Heart To A Rambler” and “Steppin’ Stones” plus the jaunty “The Joke’s On You”.
Closing the 24-track collection you have “Skip, Hop & Wobble”, a title used by Jerry Douglas for an instrumental record with fellow genial recording artists, Russ Barenberg and Edgar Meyer.
Maurice Hope
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