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Thread: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

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    Default Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    I caught the reunion of the Bluegrass Album Band (plus Josh Williams) as the Saturday night finale of Bluegrass First Class this past weekend in Asheville. It has to be one of the highlights of my musical life. Before the show the rumors flew about Tony Rice, his health, and whether or not he would show up. Well, he did - and so did the rest of 'em, and they knocked it out of the park.

    They opened with Blueridge Cabin Home, and although Josh Williams tangled up the lyrics on the 3rd verse, he handled it like the pro he is - he just substituted a line from the 2nd verse. A few songs later he apologized to the band and the audience for the brain cramp, explaining that during Tony's guitar break it just hit him that he was standing on stage performing with the BLUEGRASS ALBUM BAND . . .

    Doyle took on the task of emcee, and it was soon obvious that the band was as excited to be performing together again as we were to take them in. It was pretty cool to observe the chemistry between these guys; the stage patter definitely entertained. Josh, to me, was the perfect choice to fill the gap left by Tony's voice. He was obviously thrilled and honored to be a part of it, and you could tell he'd done his homework on the songs.

    It was also obvious how much everyone there, onstage and offstage, loved Tony Rice. While he may not have been at the apex of his health or form, his brilliance was evident throughout (his backup on Maiden's Prayer was breathtaking). There were a couple of times when it seemed like he might have been having difficulty hearing the monitors, and Todd Philips immediately scooted his bass right up there behind him to give him the beat. Any time he took a guitar break the crowd responded wildly.

    I was actually surprised with Doyle's mandolin breaks. He is an exceptional instrumentalist in my book, but nearly every time he took a break with these guys his playing seemed even more intense. Bobby Hicks was, of course, extraordinarily tasteful and nasty (in the best possible way, sometimes at the same time) and JD was, well, solidly JD. That has to be one of the most deeply satisfying shows I've seen in a long, long time.
    Clark Beavans

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Nice, Clark. Hard to believe that they re-convened for this show, 30 some-odd years after their heyday, what an event. And for Josh to be considered as the 6th-man, well he must have been overjoyed.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    He was . . . he did a grand version of Ginseng Sullivan with Rhonda and the Rage on Friday afternoon. Rhonda said she heard him messing around with it backstage at the Grand Old Opry one time and told him they needed to work that one up with the band. Love his singing, and his picking is pretty obviously influenced by Rice. He sure drops the G-bomb with Rice-like authority. But with the BAB, his focus was totally on vocals - never took a solo, never really got in the mic with his rhythm playing. Totally respectful of Mr. Rice.
    Clark Beavans

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    Ursus Mandolinus Fretbear's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Wow; you lucky; Thanks for the great report. It really was a reunion if Todd was there, I know that he and Tony parted ways after many years of being extremely close (he tends to really bond with whomever is playing bass for him) but never found any mention of why.
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    "Josh, to me, was the perfect choice to fill the gap left by Tony's voice." Not to me. Why not Richard Bennett? I mean he was sitting at home watching TV and listening to his new CD on Sirrus. There is no one better to fill Tony's range in singing and tone than Mr. Bennett (he ain't too bad at picking the Rice style guitar either). If I were the promoter of this reunion I would look up Richard first. There was talk Tony might not even make it due to some health issues. With Richard there you got the guitar breaks too! Josh did fine and good to see he is back with Rhonda but his blend with Crowe and Lawson was not the same as it could have been with Richard. I'm sure Josh was Tony's first choice since singing and playing mandolin in the Unit but I bet Richard was Crowe's first choice! Still good to see Bobby Hicks has not lost a thing. There is no better bluegrass/swing fiddler living today than Hicks. And if Crowe is going to do this good in retirement we got a long way to go before he hangs it up for good. He ain't forgot nothing either! Doyle can do these quick throw together reunion bands with his eyes closed. The only thing that changed on Doyle was he sparkles a little more on stage these days.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    My favorite band of all time.It's great to hear that they are playing together again! I'd like to have been there.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Video? MP3? Anything?

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    It just goes to show how good traditional bluegrass can still be when it is performed by the masters....That was a great band when they first came along and they still play it the same way as they did then, thats my style and I love it, I`ll never get tired of it and some people say they get burned out hearing the same old bluegrass tunes over and over, not in the places where I play...I love to hear the older tunes to compare what a band does now compared to the originals....

    Thaks just my take on it.....

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    F5, This is one I've got to disagree with you on. Like you i'd bet Josh was Tony's 1st choice & That's sure good enough for me. He's a great picker & singer, and having heard him perform live...i'd say he deserves every break he gets.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    F5, there's not much that I disagree with you on, but I have to say that I'd much rather hear Josh playing that role and just being himself than to hear Richard Bennett, who, IMO, does all he can to sound just like Tony. I feel that Josh is a better vocalist and a stronger guitarist.
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Well Larry, You said exactly what was going through my mind.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Oh I agree Josh is a fine singer and even great guitar picker as well as mandolin picker but if the intent was to recreate the original band sound one more time for history's sake with Tony's lost voice, Josh didn't come close to duplicating the original vocal blend of those guys. One might say without Tony's voice in there that sound will never be duplicated. I say Richard could have come pretty darn close to getting it the same.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    f5 - I understand your comments & i agree with them - but - how many other bands replace musicians/singers with others who are nothing like the person they replaced either vocally or instrumentally ?. For instance,look at all the incarnations of the 'Bluegrass Boys' in particular. During some years it was almost never the same band for a week at a time. I'm currently re-reading Richard Smith's book " Can't You Hear Me Callin' ",& Bill Monroe's habit of picking up musicians along the way meant that one town would get to hear one band,the next town along might hear a totally different line up. Re.vocalists - both Mac Wiseman & Jimmy Martin sang for Bill Monroe,& they sounded nothing alike. Neither did Lester Flatt sound like either of them.They were all great in their own right,so lets hand it to Josh Williams 'in HIS own right' to be part of the new B.A.B. line up. I have 3 CD's by that young guy & he's as good as he'll ever need to be in all that he does. If the B.A.B. had wished to re-create as closely as possible their 'original' sound,they might have gone for your choice of singer,but it would seem that they simply chose 'another' good singer/musician,
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Quote Originally Posted by f5loar View Post
    Oh I agree Josh is a fine singer and even great guitar picker as well as mandolin picker but if the intent was to recreate the original band sound one more time for history's sake with Tony's lost voice, Josh didn't come close to duplicating the original vocal blend of those guys. One might say without Tony's voice in there that sound will never be duplicated. I say Richard could have come pretty darn close to getting it the same.
    Keep in mind that this post is from a guy who has a life-sized dummy in his house of Big Mon (see avatar), dressed in one of Bill's signature suits. First time I saw him, I got scairt...

    RB was uncanny in his Rice-like mannerisms - vocals, presence, material, picking, stance. Btw, has anyone seen RB perform lately? Is he still out there doing it?

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    It just goes to show how good traditional bluegrass can still be when it is performed by the masters....That was a great band when they first came along and they still play it the same way as they did then, thats my style and I love it, I`ll never get tired of it and some people say they get burned out hearing the same old bluegrass tunes over and over, not in the places where I play...I love to hear the older tunes to compare what a band does now compared to the originals..
    I agree with you, Willie. Everything you wrote. I will say that I remember when that band formed and hit the scene in 1980 or 81, there was grumbling from some quarters (in-print critics, too) which went something like this:

    "That ain't right"
    "They're just imitators"
    "Can't beat the original"

    These guys knew what they were doing and knew they would take some flak for it from the naysayers. Hey, to be a bluegrass picker takes guts, plus all the other stuff.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Quote Originally Posted by f5loar View Post
    if the intent was to recreate the original band sound one more time for history's sake with Tony's lost voice
    I'm not sure that was the intent . . . but if it was, you're probably correct.

    My guess is that the intent was not to try to duplicate Tony's lost voice, because that incredible resonant voice is gone and it's not coming back. To try to find a close imitation of it, IMO, would tread too close to cheapening the man's legacy. If that voice could be duplicated, then how awesome was it, really?

    I found Josh to be a great fit precisely because he is NOT a Rice clone. He's a 3rd generation torchbearer in his own right, a fine picker and singer with a great resonant voice of his own, and is deeply respectful of who and what has gone before him.
    Clark Beavans

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Quote Originally Posted by AlanN View Post
    I agree with you, Willie. Everything you wrote. I will say that I remember when that band formed and hit the scene in 1980 or 81, there was grumbling from some quarters (in-print critics, too) which went something like this:

    "That ain't right"
    "They're just imitators"
    "Can't beat the original"

    These guys knew what they were doing and knew they would take some flak for it from the naysayers. Hey, to be a bluegrass picker takes guts, plus all the other stuff.

    Agree 110%.


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    Registered Mandolin User mandopete's Avatar
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Who was playing fiddle?
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    The master, Bobby Hicks.
    Clark Beavans

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Ivan & Tree, I especially appreciate your posts. It made me think back to some recordings of the BGAB 'back in the day.' These were live off the board recordings during the time when Tony was beginning to have problems with his voice. On one of the shows, Richard Bennett was doing the vocals. I thought that his voice was rougher & lacked some of the qualities of Tony Rice's at his prime...& that having 2 guitar players, there seemed to be some 'competitiveness' in the playing. Ivan, your points are well taken. Bill Monroe's band always had his sound, no matter who was singing, although next to the 1946 sessions, my favorite has always been Bill with Jimmy Martin. In the end, you put JD Crowe & Bobby Hicks together & there'll be a lot of folks smiling!

  24. #22
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    The whole weekend was great really. Rhonda Vincent, Quicksilver, III Tyme Out, the Grascals, who could complain? The only problem was getting pulled into jams instead of hearing all of the shows. There were some great groups on the little stage as well.
    We few, we happy few.

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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    Here's a link to some pix:
    Doyle's laid-back attire makes him hard to spot as usual; that red mandolin is neither his Loar, his signature model or his usual favorite "Victorian"......Anybody know the story on it?

    http://bluegrasstoday.com/bluegrass-album-band/
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    And here's a link to a warm-up video, they still got it, lo 30 some-odd years later


    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3812765857087

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  29. #25
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    Default Re: Bluegrass Album Band reunion

    YES! That one and Head Over Heels are a couple of my favorites!

    Boy, I wish there was a clip somewhere of their performance of Maiden's Prayer. Bobby owns that one, and what Tony did underneath him just took my breath away.
    Clark Beavans

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