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This here is a ripper, as California bluegrass girls, and former members of west coast bluegrass ensemble, the Good Ol’ Person, Laurie Lewis (fiddle, string bass, vocals) and Kathy Kallick (guitar, vocals) reunite to perform songs they learnt from bluegrass acts Vern Williams and Ray Parks. Talk about old songs given new life, the duo do this in spades, as they produce bluegrass rich in seamless harmony vocals, picking with terrific verve, and lead vocals sharp and incisive.
Both Lewis and Kallick were brought up on the music of the above, the latter stating; ‘When Laurie and I first started singing together we went to Vern and Ray for cool song choices right away. Vern’s singing was a template for us – that jaw-dropping, razor sharp, laser beam voice.’ Lewis adding, ‘Ray had a beautiful bow arm, and played with a combination of grit and finesse that I just loved’. In support they have Lewis’ ever supportive aid, and recording partner on a couple of duet records, Tom Rozum (mandolin) plus Patrick Sauber (banjo) as the core band. Alongside of which are guest slots from Sally Van Meter (Resophonic slide guitar), Keith Little (banjo, harmony vocals), Rozum (harmony vocal) and from from Kallick’s band Annie Staninec, twin fiddle on “Thinkin’ Of Home” and “Cowboy Jack”.
From opening cut “Oh! Susanna” (Stephen Foster) all the way through to Paul Houser’s “Touch Of God’s Hand” the music is vibrant and fresh as old treasures (A.P Carter etc), traditional and those from Park are aired in grand fashion. Lewis and Kallick pay homage to the above, the former played (bass) with Williams for a spell prior to her hooking up with the Good Ol’ Persons, and a career fronting her own band (The Right Hands), and to go on and make a collection of timeless (Grammy nominees and bluegrass winners included) country, folk, bluegrass and singer-songwriter albums.
On listening to the songs from Park it’s not difficult to decipher where a standard of excellence was set for both Lewis and Kallick. Gems come in the way of the terrific social conscious “To Hell With The Land”, uplifting gospel song “Happy I’ll Be”, western campfire ballad “Montana Cowboy”, “Thinkin’ Of Home” and there are more. One of which, “Home Many Times” like with “Thinkin’ Of Home” has the lead vocals of Lewis move up a gear; warmed in infectious banjo, mandolin, fiddle and bass it flies like a bird.
Kallick’s role on lead has never been more impressive; her handling of the Carter Family tunes “Cowboy Jack”, “My Clinch Mountain Home” (on which she does a spot of yodelling too!), and more western fare in “Montana Cowboy” set the tone. It doesn’t stop there either, for Kallick and Lewis between them rattle off with loving care such jewels as “My Old Kentucky Home” (warmed in killer mandolin, Van Meter’s resophonic slide guitar, and with Lewis’ giving her fiddle playing room (and lead vocals too) “Cabin On A Mountain”; more fabulous work from Rozum, and tucked in there Sauber’s perfectly balanced banjo playing.
While there are others of note in the 18-track spectacular there are three for one reason or another I must speak up for; Chester Smith’s “If I Had My Life To Live Over Again” (Kallick’s lead, harmony and roaming fiddle plus banjo alone worthy of great praise), and Lewis’ handling of “Little Birdie” and broken hearted ballad “Down Among The Roses” plus another (making it four) that sneaks under the wire instrumental “Flying Cloud”. Lewis’ breathless lead fiddle matched by smart banjo, mandolin, rhythm guitar and bass, and how about Paul Evans’ emotion dripping ballad, “Field Of Flowers”. I could go on, it is that kind of record. A bluegrass treasure if ever there was one! Apart from this album, and those of Lewis, Kallick, a mighty fine writer in her own right also has a bunch (she has made seventeen) of albums available.
Maurice Hope