I was going to run this by James Shelton, but considereing the posts I
have been reading I decided to put it out now. THis is my, Derek Halsey,
preview of my Concert review to be published in Gritz magazine.
(www.gritz.net). I am giving you a sneak preview. Here it is;
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys
Tony Rice with the Lonesome River Band
Paramount Theater, Ashland Kentucky, March 2002
Less than a week from winning a Grammy for both his individual vocal
performance on the song 'O Death', and for singing on the CD that the song
came from, the Album of the Year soundtrack to the movie 'O Brother Where
Art Thou?', Dr. Ralph Stanley was out front of the Paramount Arts Center in
Ashland, Kentucky meeting and greeting the folks that came to see him play.
He was as accessible as any living legend could hope to be. He would shake
your hand, sign his autograph for you, sign a CD for you, whatever. Ralph
has been doing a lot of shows lately with the 'Down From The Mountain Tour'
playing with the other fine musicians from the O Brother CD. Tonight,
however, it was Dr. Ralph and his Clinch Mountain Boys in concert with the
Lonesome River Band opening up the show with their special guest, and also a
legendary musician, Tony Rice.
The Paramount Arts Center was a wonderful venue to see these great
musicians. It is a beautiful theater built in 1931 and was a movie house
until shutting down completely in 1971. By 1973 it was bought and brought
back to life as a concert hall. It was soon placed on the National Register
of Historic Places and the original art-deco murals were restored .Due to
restoration projects started and completed over the years, including the
most recent one in 2001, the Paramount has been transformed into quite the
impressive place to see a show. The evenings bill was put together as part
of the Troubadour Concert Series promoted by musician Michael Johnathon
(www.woodsongs.com) and starting off the concert on this night was the
Lonesome River Band with Tony Rice.
The Lonesome River Band has been around with various line-ups for over
twenty years now. After being away for a while they are back in full force
with some new members and a new contract with Doobie Shea Records. Many good
musicians have come out of past line-ups of Lonesome including Dan Tyminski
and others. Sammy Shelor, on the banjo, has been with the band the longest
and is the anchor of this new version of the band and on this night the band
had two jobs to do. One, to let people know the band was back in business,
and two, to back up one of the best guitarists of bluegrass music, or any
kind of music for that matter, Tony Rice.
Lonesome River came out first and played the first two songs by
themselves. From the first note they sounded solid and ready to roll. Their
new singer and guitarist, Brandon Rickman, has the kind of bluegrass voice
that many try to imitate but you either have it or you don't. He has got it.
Their sound was tight, the vocals and harmonies were good, and the longer
they are together it should only get better. But if you are billed as
playing with one Tony Rice you best get him out there quickly. Tony Rice is
simply one of the best guitarists in the world today and the audience was
well aware of this and was very enthusiastic in their appreciation of him
from the second Sammy Shelor called him out onto the stage.
Do you fancy yourself a guitar player? Go see Tony playing live
somewhere and afterwards tell me where you stand. The man has total control
over all aspects of his instrument. Lonesome River backed him up with much
respect as they brought the sound of their playing way down when Tony would
do his solos. The only way to describe it is to say that this was an
extremely 'Tony Rice knowledgeable' audience. After a series of upbeat,
smoking bluegrass tunes the Lonesome River Band took a break and left the
stage for Tony to play by himself for a while. Tony played the recognizable
and haunting song, "Shenandoah". It is a familiar and beautiful melody and
Tony Rice performed it in as wonderful a fashion as the song has ever been
played. Though the crowd was rowdy and fired up you could here a pin drop
when he played 'Shenandoah'. Tony explored every way he could of giving the
song new life, of giving a full, expansive sound to it, of using harmonics
and every inch of the fret board to bring it to life. It was simply
outstanding and exactly what Tony Rice fans had come to be mesmerized by.
After 'Shenandoah' Tony left the stage to take a break and as Lonesome River
came back on Sammy said," Tony Rice�.any questions?". A stand out from the
Lonesome River band was mandolin player Jeff Parker. He did a solo so
melodic and hot that even Tony turned to him and gave him a big old shout
out. Irl Hess, on bass, and Mike Hartgrove on fiddle round out the Lonesome
River band. These guys were an excellent warm up, if you could call it that
because it was much more, to the legendary Dr. Ralph Stanley.
These are heady times for the 75 year old Dr. Ralph Stanley. Ralph
started out playing music in the middle 1940's with his brother Carter
Stanley. As the Stanley Brothers they recorded many a classic song before
Carter died in the 1960's. Ralph decided to keep it going and him and his
Clinch Mountain Boys have been laying it down ever since. Now all of a
sudden he is on a CD that has sold 4 plus million copies and counting, the
'O Brother' soundtrack. Yet if there is one man that all that won't change
it is Ralph. The Clinch Mountain Boys came out and got it going first.
Ralph's son, Ralph Stanley II, may be a young man but he handles himself
well and leads the band effectively. His stage presence was impressive as he
had to handle some overly rambunctious rowdy's wanting to see his father.
But as he told the crowd his Daddy wants him to show off this band he has
put together and his daddy pays the bills so "that�s what I'm a going to
do". Later on as he was about to introduce his father some rowdy kept
yelling, "Bring him on!". Ralph II said, "He likes me to brag on him. Just
hold your horses, buddy, and I'll get him out here just as quick as I can."
The crowd loved it.
The Clinch Mountain Boys are a top-notch outfit. The longest tenure of
the bunch is slap bassist Jack Cooke. He has been with the Clinch Mountain
Boys for over thirty years and is quite the character. On mandolin is John
Rigsby who also provides a fine tenor voice for some powerful harmonies.
James Price is a heck of a fiddle player that also does a turn with some
quick impressions. The funniest is the one he does of his boss Dr. Ralph. He
sounds just like him when he imitates Ralph's signature, "'preciate Ya" ,
with a couple of whistles thrown in. In 1994 Dr. Ralph broke his femur bone
and brought in Steve Sparkman to play banjo. He worked out so well that Dr.
Ralph kept him on. Steve has a bright and full sound to his banjo picking
that is a treat to hear. James Alan Shelton is a very good bluegrass
guitarist and Dr. Ralph speaks highly of his playing and rightly so. Every
band should have a guitarist as solid as James. His teaching videos would be
an excellent tool for young guitarist to learn from, as are his five solo
CD's. I asked him some days later if it was intimidating to have to follow
Tony Rice on the guitar. He said heck no, that he plays a different style
than Tony and that "it was an honor to be on the same bill as him". Sweet.
Ralph Stanley II has a fine voice himself and will no doubt carry on the
Stanley tradition in fine fashion.
After the band showcased each member one by one it was time for Dr.
Ralph to come on out. He was greeted by the respect I believe he would have
received whether he had won the Grammy or not. Nonetheless he ain't no fool.
He started off his portion of the concert by going right into "Man of
Constant Sorrow", the big hit from the 'O Brother' CD. But wait a minute,
didn't Dan Tyminski sing that? Ralph recorded it first with his brother
Carter back in the 1960's. The first known record of that song being
published was in 1913 by Blind Richard Burnett. What is old is new again.
Dr. Ralph did some fine bluegrass and some fine old time gospel too. "A
Robin Built A Nest On Daddy's Grave" was a great old mountain style gospel
tune that rolled right along. "Girl From The Greenbriar Shore" was another
old time mountain music standout.
Dr. Ralph, without hesitation, explained why he had to have most of the
lyrics to the songs written out on paper for him to read as he sang. He is
75 years old and he would rather get the lyrics right rather than to look
like a fool trying to remember them and getting it wrong. Nobody cared as
his voice and experience carried the songs along and that is all that
mattered. His accapella rendition of "O Death" sounded as good if not better
than from the O Brother soundtrack. And yes, during one song Dr. Ralph did
pick up the banjo. While Earl Scruggs is the premier musician when it comes
to banjer picking with his three finger 'Earl Scruggs Style' playing, it
was a real treat to hear Dr. Ralph remind everybody how powerful the old
time 'clawhammer style' banjo picking could be. Dr. Ralph threw down some
powerful and aggressive riffs. The crowd loved it.
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys gave every one a good show.
For an encore Dr. Ralph sang an inspired version of 'Amazing Grace' sung in
a way meant to involve every one in the crowd. Dr. Ralph is always true to
his gospel roots. When DR. Ralph is playing on the 'O Brother' tour the
Clinch Mountain Boys are not with him. That tour is selling out all over the
country. So, if you can not catch that tour look for him playing the smaller
halls with the full band. You won't be disappointed and your chances of
meeting a living legend will be all that much greater.
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