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Jim Mills
Dixie Home
Sugar Hill Records
By Steve Cooper
 I
like Sugar Hill Records. Located in my home state of North Carolina
(Durham, to be exact), they have been, for the last twenty years,
one of the leading independent record labels dedicated to bluegrass,
singer/songwriter, folk, and country. In the last few years,
however, they have been releasing albums under various side picker's
names with "guest vocalists" who, as it usually happens,
are also signed to Sugar Hill. And, I'm talking "lead"
vocalists here. The picker whose name graces the CD does not
sing. If said picker's instrument is, say, the banjo, the banjo
will be turned up in the instrumental mix and the banjo will
take a solo or two on every song. However, if Tim O'Brien or
Ricky Skaggs or Dan Tyminski is singing lead, should these songs
appear on an album with Jim Mills' name on the cover?
And, Sugar Hill has done this time and time again with other
pickers. So many times I fear their aim is to double-utilize
artists signed to their label. In other words, releasing CDs
that are, in essence, non-releases. CDs that are merely picking
parties with a picker's name on top. The songs sung by, say,
Tim O'Brien, a fine singer and songwriter, would find a more
rightful home on a Tim O'Brien album than on a Jim Mills album.
Wouldn't it be better to have all-instrumental albums by these
ace pickers? The bluegrass market is sophisticated enough to
buy them. An all-instrumental album would stretch the player's
virtuosity and creativity, whereas accompanying a guest lead
singer does not. And many of these sidemen have sung harmonies
in their respective groups; why not squeeze out a lead vocal
or two from them? Jim Mills was once in Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
Every Quicksilver member has to sing because a-cappella is a
Doyle Lawson specialty.
All of that said, let us turn to My Dixie Home by current
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder banjo man Jim Mills. Ricky
Skaggs takes lead vocal chores on two songs, Tim O'Brien on two
songs, Dan Tyminski on two songs, and Paul Brewster on one.
That's seven vocal songs on which Jim Mills merely accompanies
on banjo. Considering the album has twelve songs, that means
that almost three-fourths of this release cannot rightly be called
a "Jim Mills album." These songs are orphans. The
father-figure name on the cover does not know them.
The vocals here are a bit tainted. Such an effort was made
to feature Mills' banjo that the vocals are pushed back in the
mix and, frequently, Mills is playing over the singer. Therefore,
let us quickly turn to the five instrumental cuts on My Dixie
Home. Mills is a skilled, agile, banjo player with a clear,
compelling tone. His credentials are solid. If you can play
banjo for Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs, both of whom are known
as difficult perfectionists, you have to be top-drawer.
The center-piece instrumental cut is "Take the D Train,"
a medley of "Train 45," "Sally Goodin," and
"Mama Blues." Mills shines forth here. He pulls out
all his banjo tricks. Nashville Bluegrass Band fiddle player
Stuart Duncan is the second "voice" on the track.
The only problem I have with it is its length. When you have
a banjo/fiddle groove going, why not extend it beyond a perfunctory
three minutes? Let the picker pick, dammit.
Mills also takes a fine turn on J.D. Crowe's "Black Jack."
This is the type of banjo tune where you limber up the fingers
and let it fly. Adam Steffey, from Alison Krauss' Union Station
and also Mountain Heart, abets on speed-induced mandolin. The
problem? Again, the length. Only two minutes long. Let the
picker ply his trade.
A take of Grandpa Jones' "It's Rainin' Here This Morning,"
features more Mills/Duncan interplay on banjo and fiddle. Mills
manages to mix both his Scruggs-style picking and a smidgen of
Grandpa Jones clawhammer. "Sledd Ridin'," an old Sonny
Osbourne workout, is picked so cleanly and quietly that it never
really takes off. The surprise instrumental is the closing cut,
"I'll See You In My Dreams," an old Gus Kahn standard
on which Mills plays Merle Travis-style guitar. Duncan is achingly
fine on fiddle and Mills is first-rate on thumb-pick guitar.
This is an example of "stretching out" that I mentioned
earlier. Sadly, it is in minimal supply here.
So there we have it. Another Sugar Hill non-release release.
I'm not totally opposed to the "sideman steps to the front"
format, but, please, let the sideman truly step forward.
*www.sugarhillrecords.com
Contact Steve Cooper at: cooper-at-rockzilla.net
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