Artist: John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band
Album: From The Crows Nest
Label: Cleopatra Records
Release Date: 7/6/18
J2B2 (no relation to R2D2) stands for John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band. It’s just one of the myriad of musical projects Jorgenson seems to always be deeply involved with. “Oh, The Humanity” is a journalistic phrase, first shouted out to the world in 1937, around the time Bill Monroe and his boys were inventing bluegrass music. Over the decades, many liberties have been taken on that phrase, but it is mainly associated with disasters. From The Crows Nest is no disaster, there’s no iceberg dead ahead, nor dirigibles burning to the ground. But oh, the humanity is what makes this collection really stand out.
To help him “feather” the Crows Nest (recorded at Sheryl Crow’s home studio ) Jorgenson has chosen longtime friends and veterans Herb Pedersen, Jon Randall, Mark Fain, and guest Rob Ickes. They have selected tunes from the likes of Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Chris Hillman, J.D. Souther, Bill Anderson, Rodney Dillard, Mitch Jane as well as B2ers, John, Jon and Herb. Although B2 Mark Fain “only” plays the bass, he beautifully plays the best-sounding bass I can recall, since I was in the studio with the Huskey family bassist “Lester,” whom Emmy Lou Harris once described as providing “the heartbeat Of America.”
It opens with a number aptly called “Beautiful Sound” and there are plenty of them, vocally and instrumentally showcased here. There is also touches of stuff once dissed by Monroe Doctrinists as Dawg music ( “Ladies Bluff,” “Gina,” and “Feather”). When ya got the chops, you may as well fire up the grill. But it’s the HUMANITY, expressed in the subjects J2B2 deals with, that takes From the Crows Nest high up the mast for me, perhaps no higher than with Rodney Crowell’s “Wandering Boy.” Both lyrics and the majestic repeated riff that sails away forever is guaranteed to stay in your mind, and haunt you.
—Ken Spooner
One tiny correction “Lester” is the name that Nashville bass legends Roy “Junior” Huskey, 1928-1971 & his son Roy Huskey Jr. 1956-1996, gave to the family bass as both played it with Lester Flatt. The Jr in the Huskey names often causes confusion and I was trying to be brief here. I was very fortunate to have known and worked with Roy Jr and “Lester” and I treasure the recordings we made together __Ken Spooner