Maurice Hope – August 23, 2016 at 02:00PM
Tags:_AMERICANA
Texas-based High Plains Jamboree is a four-piece that combines bluegrass and country with effortless ease. A band that is country as it is bluegrass, bluegrass as it is county. With Noel McKay and Brennen Leigh putting on one stunning show after another this summer I felt it was past time some words were shared about a project they are currently touring with. Partnered by Beth Chrisman on fiddle and vocals and Simon Flory, upright bass guitar playing McKay and Leigh on mandolin the band released their self-titled seven-track last year. The quartet work as one, there is no star just four outstanding team players.
Before we go any further the EP is a brilliant offering. Wonderful playing throughout, seamless harmonies and a bunch of quality songs. One of them, the only cover is a tune I heard a good many years ago from a recording on CMH Records from the Osborne Brothers many moons ago. Great stuff, and with a couple of stellar co-writes from the duo to go with two top notch compositions from McKay (“When Country Isn’t Cool Anymore” and “It Never Rains”) and one written with Shawn Camp “Change the Oil”. A song about where good advice goes unheeded at a cost.
The album is bright and lively when called for and oozes class on the slow killer ballads. With “It Never Rains” a brilliant piece of story-telling and with it backed by “Dollar Bill” (Chrisman) and the cute as they come “Putting Up A Front” and with it containing some humorous lyrics as it speaks of living beyond ones means when they should be eating rice and beans instead of putting it on the credit card.
Maurice Hope
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