Reviewed by Dave Brassington

Take a bunch of veteran country and bluegrass musicians, put 'em together to do a bluegrass album and hey presto, you have The Laurel Canton Ramblers! I have no idea whether this is a 'one off' or permanent arrangement, but there is no doubting this is one mighty fine bluegrass album! The players are all in the veteran category, Herb Pedersen who played with the Dillards, Emmylou Harris and many west coast acts in the late 60s, early 70s. That fine fiddle player Byron Berline also had a spell with the legendary Dillards, plus of course the boss man himself, Bill Monroe. The material is a nice mix of new (the title track) and older material, which is well represented by three very fine gospel songs, the Stanley Brothers' "He Said If I Be Lifted Up", the traditional "Jordan" and the very moving "Jesus Savior Pilot Me". To sum up, bluegrass in 1995 is alive and kicking! A nice enjoyable album and nice to see gospel material well represented.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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