Search - Curly Seckler :: That Old Book of Mine

Classic bluegrass about as good as it gets

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 10/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 40:16 -- Considered one of the best tenor singers ever in bluegrass music, this reissue of a 1971 album called "Curly Seckler Sings Again" (County-732) also includes five cuts from Curly's 1989 release with Willis Spears called "Tribute To Lester Flatt" (Rebel CS-4301). All told, we're treated to 16 tracks including such classics as "No Mother In This World," "Salty Dog Blues," and "You Took My Sunshine." In 2004, Seckler was deservedly inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Hall of Honor (they had previously honored Seckler in 1996 with the Distinguished Achievement Award).



This bluegrass pioneer is from China Grove, N.C., and his real name is John Ray Sechler. With his brothers, his first band was The Yodeling Rangers in 1935. Four years later, he joined up as a guitar and banjo player with Charlie Monroe. In 1948, he joined Mac Wiseman in The Smokey Mountaineers. In the late-40s or early-50s, he briefly worked with Danny Bailey, The Cope Brothers (on Grand Ole Opry), Jim & Jesse (making an album on Capitol with them), The Stanley Brothers and The Sauceman Brothers. By 1949, he was with Flatt and Scruggs as one of their Foggy Mountain Boys. After a year, he left them to work with Jim & Jesse, but he became a Foggy Mountain Boy again from 1952-62 when he retired and started a trucking business.



The 1971 session also included Billy Edwards (banjo), Herschel Sizemore (mandolin), Tater Tate (fiddle) and John Palmer (bass). Curly played guitar, and sang lead or tenor at this session. If singing tenor, the lead vocals would be handled by Billy Edwards. When called for ("Salty Dog Blues" and "Don't This Road Look Rough and Rocky"), Tater Tate would sing the baritone harmony part. The band's quartet is featured on the gospel piece, "Remember the Cross," and Hank Williams' "Sing, Sing, Sing." Of special note are Seckler's own compositions, "That Old Book of Mine" and "What's the Matter Now," that illustrate his songwriting abilities as well. Of course many of the songs covered from the repertoire of Flatt and Scruggs. Seckler and Flatt collaborated to co-write "No Mother or Dad."



After recording, Curly Seckler "unretired" in 1973 and joined Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass. Although Lester died in 1979, Curly assumed the leadership role to keep the band going until about 1994. In 1981, Curly Seckler & The Nashville Grass hired Willis Spears as their lead singer. In 1987, Seckler and Willis became partners, and they led the band together until Curly's retirement in 1994.



The 1989 recording session teamed up Seckler (on mandolin) with Willis Spears (guitar), Ron Stewart (fiddle), Larry Perkins (banjo), and Philip Staff (bass). Seckler only sang tenor to Spears' lead at this session. Stewart or Perkins added baritone parts on two of the five songs offered. Perkins also picks lead guitar on "Give Me the Roses While I Live," that has Harold Jones adding the bass vocal in the only quartet from this session.



This reissue captures the sounds of significant periods in traditional bluegrass history. Curly Seckler has always remained true to his traditional form. This classic bluegrass is about as good as it gets, and "That Old Book of Mine" should be required reading. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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