| |
 North
Carolinian Ronnie Bowman has known nothing but success since
his debut recording as a member of the venerable bluegrass group
Lost & Found on their 1989 release New Day. Not long
after recording that project, Bowman left to join the soon-to-be
mega-successful (in bluegrass terms) Lonesome River Band. From
1991 until 2000, he was vocalist and guitarist for LRB, where
he shared vocal chores with singer extraordinaire Dan "Man
of Constant Sorrow" Tyminski (now with Alison Krauss and
Union Station). Like Hot Rize and the Johnson Mountain Boys
before them, the Lonesome River Band quickly became "the"
act to see at the many bluegrass music festivals throughout the
country.
In between LRB albums, Bowman released solo projects. His
first released in 1995, Cold Virginia Night, took the
bluegrass world by storm. In fact, Bowman won the 1995 International
Bluegrass Music Association awards for "Album of the Year,"
"Male Vocalist of the Year," and "Song of the
Year" (for the title track). Bowman again won the IBMA
"Male Vocalist of the Year" for his 1998 solo outing,
The Man I'm Trying to Be.
Bowman's voice is relaxed and flexible, very similar in tone
and nuance to the singing of Ricky Skaggs. At times, Bowman
is a dead ringer for Skaggs. At other times, where Skaggs would
leap to the high-lonesome, dangerous note, Bowman, instead, goes
baritone, allowing a guest tenor to "sing the top."
Which is my roundabout way of saying I find Bowman to be a bit
of a "Skaggs light." Skaggs, despite his goody-goody
image, is more likely to get buckdancing-wild when the spirit
moves.
Now, I'm not really knocking Bowman's new album, Starting
Over. I've played it through twice and there isn't a bad
cut on the album. With guest pickers and vocalists like Dan
Tyminski, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Steve Gulley (Mountain Heart),
Barry Bales (Union Station), and Tim Stafford (Blue Highway),
the playing and singing are nearly flawless. The songs, only
one of which is written by Bowman, fit securely in the bluegrass
singer/songwriter mold that has been successfully mined by the
likes of Front Range, Blue Highway, and, yes, the Lonesome River
Band. The main songwriter this time out is Craig Market, who
has co-written successful songs in the past with Bowman. Market
wrote or co-wrote six of the twelve songs here, the most fetching
being "Rye Whiskey," a fast waltz, showcasing Bowman's
honey-smooth baritone.
Ex-Lonesome River Band mate Don Rigsby contributes "Bring
It On Baby," featuring spirited harmonizing by Bowman and
Dan Tyminski. Craig Market adds a third harmony, pushing the
sprightly song into Nashville Bluegrass Band territory. This
tune should hit the bluegrass charts first. Another solid cut
is "One Life," the song Bowman co-wrote with fellow
Carolinian David Via (of Corn Tornado semi-fame). The pace is
relaxed, but solidly in the pocket, sort of like a male version
of the Alison Krauss muse.
This is where I was going to point out the weak songs but,
on third listen, there are none. And, then I was going to immediately
follow with the stone killer cuts but, alas, there are none of
those either. Starting Over all goes down easy and most
pleasantly. If it were coffee, it would be a Kona blend. However,
if you've a taste for some eye-stretching, kick-ass French roast,
you'll have to look elsewhere. Del McCoury perhaps.
* www.sugarhillrecords.com
|
|
