Fabulous harmony vocal act, songwriter, session man (harmony vocals, banjoist, guitarist), bluegrass musician, one-time member of The Dillards, Country Gazette (founder member), Desert Rose Band founder member), Loafer’s Glory (founder member) duet recording partner with Chris Hillman, and vocal arranger (w/ Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton when the girls worked as the Trio) California-born Herb Pedersen is a wonderful all-rounder, a man of unsurpassed pedigree in the circles he travels. The kind of man who makes the pieces in the jig saw fit, and the parts combine to become one unit.
Pedersen’s solo work may not match his purer bluegrass efforts with the likes of Hillman, but as heard across the twenty tracks on Southwest (1976) and Sandman (1977) as he eases through “Wait A Minute”; popular with Washington DC bluegrass band Seldom Scene, with whom Pedersen has also worked and the likes of “Rock & Roll Cajun” (it sounds like something the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band might one day record), and though lyrically most are strong the arrangements tend to let down “Harvest Home” (a case where less would have meant more; or he could have seen a little more edge added) and as a feel of the south smoulders “Jesus Once Again”, like on a number more occasions throws up something a little different. A nice difference it is too. Penultimate track on Southwest is a cover of Bill Monroe’s high lonesome classic “Can’t You Hear Me Callin’, and it not only has Herb score heavily on lead vocals and banjo, but Josh Graves (Dobro), Dillards’ band member Roy Dean Webb (mandolin) and Ray Park (fiddles); Park being with whom Pedersen once played, behind Park and Vern Williams in California act Vern & Ray.
Covers include a stellar version Lennon / McCartney’s “Paperback Writer” (doused in fiddle of David Lindley and Al Perkins’ steel guitar) “(My Darlin’) Cora Is Gone”, with vocal support from Dolly Parton no less Pedersen makes a superb impression. While an innovative version of traditional folk ballad “Fair And Tender Ladies” is matched by his own snappy, rural country upbeat piece “Tennessee Sal”, and just below it in the quality stakes there is a Jimmy Buffett-esque “About Love Again” and the sweetly worked “My Little Man”. On which Pedersen performs acoustic guitar, strings and woodwind by way of an arrangement from Mike Post. “If I Lose” (Stanley) with instrumental support from Lowell George (slide guitar), and others plus The Howdy Cracker Vocal Revue (Ronstadt, Parton, George, Johnny Rivers, Jill Gordon etc…) see out the album in fine style. While I would issue a word or two of warning regards the music being suitable for all bluegrass die-hard, the virtuosity and dexterity of Pedersen and those in tow could not be faulted. In fact, given a little more time this collection could well become a keeper!
Maurice Hope