The Del McCoury Band - Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe

By Mandolin Cafe
September 26, 2011 - 5:45 pm

The Del McCoury Band has joined a host of other Bill Monroe tribute recordings with their latest project, Old Memories: The Songs of Bill Monroe.

Backed as always by his ace Del McCoury Band, McCoury works his way through a generous 16-track set that nods to the show he played with Monroe by starting with a quick Watermelon On The Vine and concluding with a bit of a favorite closer, Y'all Come.

In between there are well-known classics like Close By and Rose Of Old Kentucky, obscurities like the Hank Williams-penned Alabama Waltz, rarities like The Girl In The Blue Velvet Band and Train 45. Monroe was one of the few to record the tune with lyrics-and much more.

Selections:
Watermelon On the Vine
Live and Let Live
Lonesome Truck Driver's Blues
Brakeman's Blues
Close By
In Despair
Girl In the Blue Velvet Band
John Henry
I'm Lonesome I'm Blue
Used to Be
Alabama Waltz
Lonesome Road Blues
Heavy Traffic Ahead
Train 45 (Heading South)
My Rose of Old Kentucky
Ya'll Come

The digital version of the recording is available now with vinyl and CD versions available October 25.

Additional information:
Purchase: From Elderly
Purchase: From amazon.com
Purchase: From iTunes
Purchase: From DelMcCouryBand.com

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Reader Comments

Scott Tichenor

September 26, 2011 05:53 PM

I've been listening to this recording at the McCoury Band site late this afternoon. You can stream the entire recording from there. This is as good as it gets for traditional bluegrass to my ear. Really a spectacular recording and everyone is in top form.

blueron

September 26, 2011 11:55 PM

You inspired me to resurrect a dormant iTunes account and download the album. I am not a devotee of bluegrass, but this album is a joy.

grassrootphilosopher

September 27, 2011 06:08 AM

Having just listened to the stream I am utterly pleased with the recording.

You have some obscure blues numbers (Lonesome Truck Drivers Blues, Brakeman Blues) from the early fifties.

You have the very first track that Earl Scruggs played banjo on (Heavy Traffic Ahead... a milestone to my mind).

Listen to the dark and beautiful true songs Close By and In Despair.

Most of those are not on your run of the mill run tribute album. Yet they are very pleasing to listen to.

The other numbers pay tribute to other aspects of Bill Monroe's music and his career.

The whole CD shows a pretty craggy handsome musical approach to the master's music. Everybody is very much into the Bill Monroe music. Del McCoury of course is a Blue Grass Boy and plays and sings as such. Rob McCoury on the banjo lets his playing reflect on some of the old recordings (think Rudy Lyle et al). Jason Carter and his fiddle playing is truely outstanding while Ronnie McCoury plays as close to Monroe style as it gets.

I like it a lot.

Don Grieser

September 27, 2011 09:29 PM

I'm really glad Del and the boys did this album. Nobody else around today can play these songs this good. And let's not forget that the first time Ronnie won the IBMA mandolin player of the year award, he walked over to where Bill Monroe was sitting and gave it to him. Now that's a young man with some class, might have learned it from his father.

RB250

October 25, 2011 06:11 AM

When does this come out on CD?