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Various Artists
The Legend Lives On: A Tribute to Bill Monroe
Koch/Audium Records
By Steve Cooper
 Taken
from a 1997 live tribute performance at Nashville's legendary
Ryman Auditorium, recorded a scant six months after Bill Monroe's
death in September of 1996, this two-CD set is at once loving,
spirited, and evocative. The key is the "artists" part
of the "various artists" performing here. The folks
at Koch chose well (mostly), the only exception being Southern
rocker Charlie Daniels, whose rather rote performances of "Orange
Blossom Special" and "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms"
are largely forgettable. Big Charlie aside, this set boasts such
bluegrass and country stalwarts as Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury,
James Monroe (Bill's son), Tim O'Brien, Ralph Stanley, Marty
Stuart, Jerry & Tammy Sullivan, Larry Sparks, the Whites,
John Hartford, Jim & Jesse, Connie Smith, the remaining Bluegrass
Boys, and (a bit of a surprise) Bill Carlisle (from the Carlisle
Family of early 1950s country music fame). The muse of Mr. Monroe
is well imitated, though it is impossible to duplicate the audacious,
ever-dangerous "Big Mon."
Ricky Skaggs' relationship with the late Father of Bluegrass
has been well documented. As the official story goes: mentor
and friend Bill's death inspired Ricky to forsake country music
and return to his bluegrass roots to save the genre from extinction.
Of course, by 1996, Skaggs'country music career was largely a
thing of the past, and his touring consisted mostly of bluegrass
festivals anyway. Be that as it may, Skaggs has been a welcome
"official" addition to the bluegrass field, though
the genre was healthy enough without him. To be fair, Skaggs
has had a considerable impact since "coming home,"
hosting and performing bluegrass and country music for his "Live
at the Ryman" series on Country Music Television. His country
music connections are helping to pull bluegrass further into
the limelight.
I dwell on Skaggs here because, though this special was hosted
by Lorrie Morgan and produced by Robert Swope, Skaggs was, unless
I miss my guess, the initiating force behind it. Fittingly, Skaggs
opens the set with Monroe's signature song "Uncle Penn."
And, a spirited version it is, though Skaggs' recording of the
same song during his "official" country music career
was edgier, more daring. However, Skaggs and band (Kentucky Thunder)
also have a most edgy, most daring instrumental version of "Get
Up John" included on Disc Two of this set. It cooks with
jet fuel. Ricky gets down and funky on mandolin.
Larry Sparks, the purest voice in bluegrass (by me), covers
Monroe's "Rose of Old Kentucky" as well as the old
Monroe Brothers spiritual "What Would You Give (In Exchange
for Your Soul)". The former is fine enough, if under-miked.
"What Would You Give," though, showcases Sparks' mournful,
drop-off vocal style to good effect. If you've never heard Sparks
sing lo these many years, imagine Lester Flatt filtered through
Ray Price.
Now an extension of the "Skaggs family," the Whites
(including Ricky's wife Sharon) turn in two performances, one
with Connie Smith ("Walkin' in Jerusalem") and one
with no one but the Whites ("Used to Be"). Of the two,
"Used to Be" is the most satisfying. The White daughters,
Sharon and Cheryl, accompanied by dad Buck, slow the song down
a pace or two from the way Monroe did it, but lose none of the
song's charm in the process. The dynamic of the girls' harmonies
on the choruses and Buck's tenor lead on the verses is down-home,
back-porch, and right.
Bill Carlisle, still sprightly in his eighties, turns in a
lively, if short, version of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
The lead singer of the legendary Carlisle Family of "No
Help Wanted" fame, his vocal energy is still intact.
Ex Hot-Rizer Tim O'Brien shines on "Workin' On A Building,"
performed solo, accompanying his vocal on fiddle. The multi-talented
O'Brien (singer, songwriter, mandolin player, fiddle man), properly,
returns the field holler to its original state. The "holler"
is enhanced by extending the odd note at full wail, which O'Brien
has, it appears, mastered.
Del McCoury, ex-Bluegrass Boy and current patriarch of the
Del McCoury Band, possesses a powerful, high-lonesome voice that
rivals Monroe's, which is one reason he is currently "the"
leading light of bluegrass music. At this show, McCoury and band
perform "True Life Blues" and "John Henry."
Del's high tenor provides that old Monroe "danger,"
as do sons Ronnie and Robbie on mandolin and banjo, respectively.
Ronnie McCoury, in fact, is probably the "fastest gun"
among bluegrass mandolin pickers today.
Marty Stuart, like Skaggs, came from bluegrass roots. As a
child prodigy of sorts, he was a long-time member of Lester Flatt's
Nashville Grass band (the post Flatt & Scruggs days before
Lester's death). Stuart's two contributions here are an interesting
take of top Bluegrass Boy instrumental "Rawhide" (done
with the Del McCoury Band) and a fine vocal take on "Rabbit
in the Log." Stuart is lightning fast on mandolin, though
his relaxed vocal style is closer to that of his mentor and ex-Bluegrass
Boy, Lester Flatt, than it is to Monroe's high keen. He and the
Del McCoury Band boys get experimental on "Rawhide,"
slowing it down for the first half, and "tearin' it up"
down the home stretch, with some "new acoustic" jazziness
thrown in along the way. Whether or not Monroe would have approved
is not important because what is represented is the essence of
adventure that was a Bill Monroe trademark.
Bill's son, James, who was a Bluegrass Boy himself for many
years, alas, isn't the vocal presence he used to be. Still, his
versions of "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "I'll
Fly Away" are true enough to be somewhat compelling. And,
it is right that he's here. The same could be said of the late
John Hartford's part in this affair. Due to extended illness,
his vocal powers are diminished. The largely-spoken song "Cross
Eyed Child," a reference to a youthful, embarrassing, physical
condition Monroe later overcame, is Hartford at his talky-cute
worst. He fares better singing "Little Cabin on the Hill"
on Disc Two. A-aaand, the same could be said of the two songs
by the remaining Bluegrass Boys included here. Their versions
of "In the Pines" and "Blue Eyed Darlin'"
are rather perfunctory without Bill's impossibly-high tenor voice
riding over the top (not to mention his impossibly-fast mandolin
runs).
An unexpected delight is the two cuts by Jerry and Tammy Sullivan.
The father-daughter gospel duo was probably brought in by Marty
Stuart, since he has produced some of their albums. Whatever
the reason for including them, their adaptations of "I'll
Meet You In Church" and "Wicked Path of Sin" are
first-rate. Tammy's voice is a full-throated and unaffected instrument.
She reminds me a bit of the great, though little-known Delia
Bell (of Bill Grant & Delia Bell semi-fame). When the Sullivans
"take it to church," they take it to "that little
old church in the dale" that Monroe knew.
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys perform the standard
"Can't You Hear Me Callin'" and the more-rare "I
Got a Letter." The former is the more gratifying because
it features much more of Ralph's treasured, high lead voice.
It is most appropriate that Ralph be at this tribute because,
since Monroe's death, he is now the reigning "great granddaddy"
of bluegrass. Plus, Ralph's career has closely paralleled that
of Monroe. Both started in brother duets and later created their
own, ever-changing bluegrass bands. Both possess that high, ethereal
yowl, known as "that high, lonesome sound."
Before closing, I should point out that this two-CD set can
also be had in DVD, including the video of the show first aired
in 1997 on CMT and repeated many times since. And, speaking of
closing, let us sum it simply: a good-to-excellent tribute, both
audio and video. It could have used more edge here and there,
but that may have been at the expense of the "loving"
part of the "loving tribute" equation. Take out Charlie
Daniels, insert ex-Bluegrass Boy Peter Rowan, limit the leftover
Bluegrass Boys and James Monroe to one cut, do away with the
John Hartford "talkie-cute" cut, and you've got an
excellent-to-excellent tribute.
Contact Steve Cooper at: cooper-at-rockzilla.net
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