Singer-songwriters, both, Eric Brace (Last Train Home, former Washington Post journalist ) and Peter Cooper (musician and journalist, documentarian and country music historian) have, with help of a few friends in mercurial talent Thomm Jutz (songwriter, session musician, producer and sideman) plus Andrea Zonn, Justin Moses, Jeff Taylor, Mark Fain and Lynn Williams revisited their glory days as teenagers who would make regular trips to the Birchmere to see Washington bluegrass group, Seldom Scene and also become acquainted to a wider bluegrass, singer-songwriter personnel.
The friends return in song to their Birchmere, Washington roots, days at the Cellar Door, The Seldom Scene, and Mary Chapin Carpenter at a time when she would mc open mics and their take on Seldom Scene members Mike Auldridge (with whom they have recorded), colourful mandolin picker and tenor vocalist John Duffy, the incredible John Starling and upright bass act Tom Gray (you also had banjo player; Ben Eldridge and a little later Michael T Coleman on electric bass). It was on discussing their own recollection and love of those days that helped establish their friendship some twenty years later when Brace and Cooper first met in East Nashville, since which time they have recorded three duets albums together not counting C&O Canal. Their voices join, seamlessly, as for the players they are, as one would expect, sublime. Not least so due to their respect for the boys and love of acoustic and bluegrass music, they may never get to win any gold albums but they make music tied together with love as they show their respect for music’s real players.
Songs from the period, both from Starling, fans of the Scene Mary Chapin Carpenter (“John Wilkes Booth”) and Emmylou Harris - Bill Danoff’s beautiful song “Boulder Birmingham” are nicely supplemented by “Blue Ridge” (as recorded by one-time lead vocalist with Seldon Scene, Jonathan Edwards) plus bluegrass favourite Alice Gerrard’s dark and haunting“Love Was The Price” and one from the 1970s and a favourite with the genre Joe Triplett’s “Been Awhile” plus one from one-time Fairfax County cemetery grave-digger John Jackson, “Boat’s Up The River” (one he recorded for an album released on Arhoolie Records called Blues And Country Dance Tunes From Virginia). There are others too. Tunesmith Karl Straub with whom Brace made the concept recording (and play) Hangtown Dancetown contributes with arguably the best sounding song on the record, “Rainy Night In Texas”; ideally suited to their incredibly harmonies it flies on angel's wings. Closely followed by the sombre accordion warmed “If That's the Way You Feel” (Peggy Stanley Bland & Ralph Stanley) it sees the boys squeeze every morsel of drama from the heart-tugging lyrics in superb fashion. Wonderful stuff!
So taken and impressed and influenced by the sound heard at the Birchmere, Red Fox Inn, Gallagher’s and the Cellar Door (famous for, among other things where the ‘Scene’ recorded a live double LP), songwriters who frequented it; Tony Rice, plus Shawn Colvin and Cheryl Wheeler who guested one-time on a song swap run by Chapin, Brace and Cooper plus the incredible showing from the players ensure the sound and feel could hardly be bettered. Jutz’ fine work on slide coupled with Moses mighty Dobro entries bring a warmth to the recording you don’t find every day.
Going back to the songs from Starling, a man who was to many the voice of Seldom Scene his songs “He Road All The Way To Texas” and “C&O Canal” are covered in great style, the latter which opens the record is a terrific piece as the voices of Brace and Cooper dovetail beautifully.
Maurice Hope
Footnote; be sure to check for tour dates of the UK this spring.