Bluegrass Album Band reunion

[f5loar]

I saw the MP on facebook so I know it's out there. Should be on youtube. I know Doyle has a different colored MM F5 Gibson to match the coresponding color of Nudie suit he is wearing. The purple one is like WOW! Why he had the red MM F5 with the Black Nudie I don't know. His red Nudie was at the cleaners and the black MM needed new strings? I know he wore at least 3 different Nudies and 3 different hats that weekend.
As American Express Card would say "Doyle Lawson is first class no matter where he goes".
Anytime a promoter puts together a historical reunion such as this event you want it to be as close as possible. No dead members to replace only a lost voice. I mean Audie Baylock could have stepped in those shoes. Any number of great bluegrass singers could have done a great job, I'm just saying my first choice would have been to called Bennett. If I were promoting a Beatles reunion I would get Paul and Ringo of course but would look to Julian Lennon and George Harrsion's son both of home look and do sound the part of their fathers. I would leave Yoko (who just turned 80) out the tour. Maybe add those 5th beatles, Eric Clapton and Billy Preston. Bill Monroe's band would be hard to recreate without the Big Mon. I think Cumberland Highlanders has proven it ain't going to happen when the best they can do is a woman to sing Monroe's parts no matter how many ex-bluegrass boys you can cram onto one stage at one time. Where is Carlton Haney when you need him?

[Russ Jordan]

Bill Monroe's band would be hard to recreate without the Big Mon. I think Cumberland Highlanders has proven it ain't going to happen when the best they can do is a woman to sing Monroe's parts no matter how many ex-bluegrass boys you can cram onto one stage at one time. Where is Carlton Haney when you need him?

No disrespect to Roland White, but when they had the 100 birthday celebration for Monroe at Merlefest, I kept wishing David Davis had the mandolin slot. It would have been so much closer to a Big Mon presence.

[J.Albert]

It was probably Mr. Rice's choice on who would fill in the vocal parts in his stead. Since Josh Williams has been helping out in the TR Unit recently, Tony saw him as first pick for the opening.

But F5Loar is correct that Richard Bennett does _sound_ more like Tony did in his prime. But I'll guess it was Tony's call and Josh got the job.

Actually, I think Ricky Wasson could have done a great job as well -- his vocals with The New South sounded very close to Tony's timbre and range…

Are they going to be doing many more reunion shows?
Is there a web page with show dates and locations?

[baptist mando55]

I wonder how Tony feels about Richard. I think It would kinda creep me out to be copied so much. Ive met Richard he seems very humble and aprochable.He showed me a 70s martin that had been worked over by John Arnold quite impressive. I guess the imitation is the most sincere form of flattery

[Ivan Kelsall]

Doc - I agree with your comment re.Bill Monroe & Jimmy Martin. Of all the vocal combos.that BM had,that's my favourite one.As for Fiddle players,when i bought BM's "Bluegrass Instrumentals" LP back in the mid 60's,it was Bobby Hicks that blew me away with his playing. He & Kenny Baker are my favourite BM Fiddlers.The first track on the LP,"Stoney Lonesome",with Bobby Hicks & Charlie Smith on twin Fiddles is still one of my all time favourites. "Panhandle Country" with both BH & KB on twin Fiddles is one of my favourite tunes to play on banjo,
Ivan

[AlanN]

The BAB, from the outset, tried to keep true to form, to give the classic tunes they chose to do the correct homage. Rice at the time said he limited the number of guitar solos to stay true to the original versions of these tunes. Doyle, the same. He took just a few turns, and played it pretty straight. In Niles' book Doyle Lawson Recorded Solos, there are a few from the first album they did -Pain In My Heart, One Tear. As time went on, they expanded their thing, included more solos, different songs - Christine's Tune, Age, etc. Jerry Douglas was added, Vassar replaced Hicks, one of the 6 (maybe last one) was all instrumental numbers. To realize that T started the band just to fulfill a contract, and then to see where it ultimately went, was phenominal.

I remember driving down to Newark, DE in 1987 to catch the Friday night show of the BAB (was not going to miss it). The front of the stage was so packed I could hardly get close enough to see them. They were HUGE.

[John Duncan]

The videos on youtube are slowly coming out. Here is the encore. It was the tightest the band sounded that night, IMO. I especially thought Doyle was ON IT with his pickin and singin.

[f5loar]

Seeing them again took me back to my LP vinyl days and I realised I didn't have but one of the BAB on CD so I ordered their complete recorded works on CD today on Amazon. They knew how to pick the right songs and put it together to perfection. I guess JD and Hicks move on next to the Masters of Bluegrass tour with Del & Jerry MccCoury and Bobby Osborne. That's going to be another show to see.

[Tim W]

Hope that Maidens Prayer version shows up someplace soon.

[f5loar]

the one I saw was from a cell phone and went to facebook. May not show up on youtube. But until then you can enjoy these similar Hicks live versions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp97iTzAq6o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-NL8Dh2JGU

[doc holiday]

What an exciting band July 13, 1985

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YgogKvhC6w

[AlanN]

T was just so dang cool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY4pEcs6Rw

[mandopete]

What an exciting band July 13, 1985

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YgogKvhC6w

Funny at the beginning..."Can I have too much guitar in this mic please?"

Love the vocals where JD gets right in there im middle.

What is Todd Phillips playing? I've never seen him on a bass like that.

5 STARS!

[Bobbie Dier]

"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? "

Alan N, I saw Richard Bennett last summer in June at Dollywood. I think he had a full time gig there.

[f5loar]

Richard just released a new CD that has been getting a good amount of airplay on Sirrus Bluegrass. Voice sounds great and picking not lost. I thought he gave up the Dollywood gig. Not much he could do in that gig but that's a step up from his previous gig with Dolly doing 30mins. HeeHaw stuff at her Dixie Stampede.

[Bobbie Dier]

f5loar, Richard Bennett was with a bunch of young guys at Dollywood. I think they were called The Smokey Mtn String Band. They were really good. Never saw him with Dolly but I can only imagine what the show would be like. I was looking forward to seeing them play again this year. I'll need to find his new CD. Thanks for the info.

[baptist mando55]

You can see Richard sometimes playing at the gazebo in front of Ernest Tubb record shop in Pigon Forge. Ive seen him with Darrell Webb ,Matt Ledbetter,etc real fine pickin

[Michael Ramsey]

Funny at the beginning..."Can I have too much guitar in this mic please?"

Love the vocals where JD gets right in there im middle.

What is Todd Phillips playing? I've never seen him on a bass like that.

5 STARS!

Todd Phillips was playing a Ned Steinberger headless, fretless electric bass. He had flown into Charlotte, NC and they had managed to "lose" his upright bass in it's flight case. I was sitting there about the 3rd-4th row, on the left.

[AlanN]

Cool that you were in seat there. Mike. Rice was like a guitar god back then, made the star entrance to rose petals, swooning girls - he was the West Coast legend making an appearance in the East. And his playing was so very great - deft, smooth and coooollll.

[swampstomper]

Doyle should have been singing lead on this, he did a much better job than Williams, back on the Rambling Boy LP with JD.

[drbluegrass]

Been looking for the box set...can't find it anywhere. Anyone know where you can get it?


Tom

[doc holiday]

Been looking for the box set...can't find it anywhere. Anyone know where you can get it?


Tom

Tom, The Albums were issued sequentially. I've never seen them as a box set. But they sure should be. I have all 6 and some need replacing...wearing out those CDs

[f5loar]

There were 8 LPs with the last one being an all instrumental one. The CDs I found were Vol I and II on one CD , Vol III and IV on one CD then the others as single CDs.

[Geno]

Don't you mean 6 LP's? The Bluegrass Compact Disc Vol I and II both seem to contain a mix of tracks from volumes 1-4 (and maybe 5?), and not all of the songs are even included. The Down The Road and Lonesome Moonlight CD's just repackage Monroe or Flatt & Scruggs tunes from the original 6 LP's. I don't think you can get everything on CD unless you buy volumes 1-6 individually. Is there something else out there I don't know about?

[f5loar]

I guess I need to carry my reading glasses with me more often. I didn't compare song to song on the LP to CDs. When I looked at the last one, the instrumental one I thought it said "Vol 8" with the tiny "6" font looking very much like an 8 without my glasses. Who can read stuff on CD inserts these days anyway! Since I find no Vol 7 there were only 6 made. Thanks for clearing me up on this. I was listening to the first CD today in my car and gonig back to remembering just how great these guys were as a band. Can you image that lineup with Bill Monroe on mandolin/tenor instead of Lawson how great Bill would have sounded with that great of a band behind him?