Search - Mac Martin & Dixie Travelers :: Travelin on

One part of this phenomenal band's lasting bluegrass legacy

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 10/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Recorded in October, 1977, "Travelin' On" was originally released by Renovah Records and features Mac Martin (guitar), Mike Carson (fiddle), Billy Bryant (banjo), Norm Azinger (bass), and Edgar 'Bud' Smith (mandolin). Fans of traditional bluegrass will be thrilled to hear about this album's re-release on CD by the Copper Creek Records. From Pittsburgh, Pa., Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers epitomize the old style of bluegrass. Despite being "travelers," the group members all had day jobs and didn't get around much although they certainly deserved wider exposure. They played weekly (and sometime twice weekly) at a club called Walsh's Lounge for about 19 years until the late-70s. The Dixie Travelers then worked for six years at Gustine's, former Pittsburgh baseball hero Frank Gustine's club.



Martin, Carson and Bryant had been picking pals for over two decades when this album was initially released. Martin sings with a lot of feeling, and Carson and Bryant really lay down solid fiddle and banjo in the traditional style of this genre. "Scotland" and "Choking the Strings" are instrumentals that highlight their prowess.



Their repertoire is drawn from traditional fare (Black Eyed Susie, Gethsamane, Joy Bells), but they also cover songs from Marty Robbins, Paul Williams, Bill Monroe, George Jones, Johnnie & Jack, Ken Clark, Mike Carson, and Lizzie DeArmond. The closing numbers, "Is She Praying There?" and "Joy Bells" were Gospel staples of Charlie Monroe.



Mac Martin (a.k.a. William Colleran) and I share the same birthday, April 26, although he was born nearly three decades before me. In 2005, Mac will celebrate his 80th birthday. Beside "Travelin' On," Martin and company put out a number of other great traditional bluegrass LPs on the Rural Rhythm, County, Old Homestead, and Renovah labels. They include "Traveling Blues" (1968), "Back Trackin'" (1971), "Dixie Bound" (1974), "Basic Bluegrass" (1987), "Traveler's Portrait", (1989). "Free Wheeling" (1974) featured only The Dixie Travelers.



Mac Martin learned most of his country and bluegrass songs from radio shows, records and songbooks. After serving as a Navy Seabee in WWII, he formed a country band in 1948 called The Pike County Boys. With three Bills in the group, he decided to adopt the stage name "Mac Martin."



One always knows what kind of bluegrass to expect from Mac Martin and the Dixie Travelers - `grass that is consistently pure, honest, true blue and traditional. We must thank Copper Creek for introducing us to this album, just one part of this phenomenal band's lasting bluegrass legacy. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)



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