So yes, today is twangy Tuesday and that means bluegrass to me! So why do I like bluegrass music, well mostly for the pickin’ a little for the singing. Sometimes bluegrass instrumentals are a lot like jazz, uh, does the name Bela Fleck ring any bells. But bluegrass is a little slice of everyday life a little up, a little down and the down sometimes includes death and murder. Ray Wylie Hubbard always supports the first amendment rights of gangsta’ rap by saying, ” In music, Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe have killed more people than Ice T and 50 cent.” I don’t look to bluegrass to teach me anything or carry any great messages I mostly look for it to make me feel better and the first album I listened to today In the Blue Room by Alan Bibey does that and more! If you don’t listen to bluegrass and you want to start somewhere, this is a great starting point. Bibey is a musician’s musician an extraordinary mandolin picker and he has been a member of great bands like IIIrd Tyme Out and Blue Ridge. Appearing with Bibey on this album is a who’s who of bluegrass music including: Del McCoury, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Jim Mills and Lonesome River Band’s Ronnie Bowman, Sammy Shelor and Kenny Smith and others. There are great instrumental tracks (which made me think that bluegrass is a lot like jazz) like the self-written title track and some great covers of Bill Monroe classics “Evening Prayer Blues” and “Close By”. But throughout the album Bibey’s mandolin picking shines and to think I found this in the bargain bin and paid I think $1.99 or $0.99 cents I can’t remember which. Anyway it has become a favorite and never fails to pick me up when I need it!
The second album I listened to was The Steep Canyon Rangers another great band more on them later, lunch tme is over!