Artist: Various Artists
Album: Come See About Me – A Benefit for the IBMA Trust Fund
Label: Mountain Home Music/Crossroads
Release Date: 9.28.2018
This endeavor is to raise money for the IBMA Trust Fund and to serve as a reminder to the bluegrass community that musicians often have unplanned events that leave them financially vulnerable. The Fund is help them through their hardships so that they can keep making music. As such, the theme running through these 11 tunes is about hope and caring.
These bluegrass artists offer both original compositions and covers to drive home the messages. The si-piece band Sideline begins with “Their Hands Made the Music,” an original tune that embodies the theme perfectly. Balsam Range, in one of the disc’s best moments, brings “We’re All in This Together,” trading off lead vocals amongst their three vocalists as well as instrumental leads to reflect the spirit of cooperation in the lyrics. Balsam Range is backed by a group of 13 vocalists, all of whom are from bands contributing to the project.
Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver are the only group with two songs here, the first, “All the Good Things We Could Do,” was written by multiple IBMA award-winning writer Donna Ulisse, who also contributes and performs her own “A Little Trust.” The other Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver tune, “We’ll Never Walk Alone,” another strong album track, was written by Randy Swift.
The Grascals cover the Beatles’ “Help” but somehow their fun-loving take seems out of place with other selections here. On the other hand, the Lonesome River Band joins Brooke Aldridge as she and LRB lead singer Brandon Rickman deliver an emotionally ringing cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You.” Another well-known cover is Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” from Love Canon, a band that just released their own album of uniquely interpreted covers this past July.
Chris Jones and the Night Drivers bring a spiritual, “Glimpse Of The Kingdom,” which is done in minor key, bolstered by Gina Clowes banjo and Tim Surrett’s dobro. Darin and Brooke Aldridge’s “Those Tears” is another of the album’s most solemn tunes, rescued at the end by a message of faith and hope. The title track finale, written by Harold Jenkins, is done in the spirit of “We Are the World” produced by Doyle Lawson who produced four of the album’s tunes. Five vocalists are credited with leads amongst a group of both musicians and background singers totaling twenty.
Like most various artist projects, there are hits and misses here but there are five or six especially strong performances from Lonesome River band, Balsam Range, Love Canon, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, and the rousing finale.
—Jim Hynes
Be the first to comment!