Cause for joyous bluegrass celebration
J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 08/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Playing Time - 41:59 -- Calling this project "Twenty Year Blues," the Nashville Bluegrass Band celebrates two decades picking extraordinary bluegrass that has garnered them IBMA Awards for Vocal Group of the Year (multiple times), Entertainer of the Year, and Song of the Year. Banjo-player Alan O'Bryant actually started his professional music career a decade earlier in 1974 with James Monroe, while co-founder and guitarist Pat Enright had previously performed with Tasty Licks (from New England) and Phantoms of the Opry (from San Francisco). A fateful day in 1984 brought these two together to launch the Nashville Bluegrass Band. The band's current configuration still includes fiddler Stuart Duncan, seventime winner of the IBMA Fiddler of the Year Award. The band's original mandolinist, Mike Compton, returned to the group in 2001, and he reinvigorates the band's sound with his solid picking and vocals (singing lead on three cuts, and baritone on another). Compton also composed the fiery instrumental, "Pretty Red Lips." A new addition to the band is talented bassist Dennis Crouch.
A few other 20-year highlights in the Nashville Bluegrass Band's history include Grammy awards, touring to Red China, touring with Lyle Lovett, recording with actress/singer Bernadette Peters, performing on a soundtrack with Johnny Cash, Enright's yodeling being featured in the "O Brother Where Aart Thou" movie, and touring as part of the high-profile Down From The Mountain and Great High Mountain tours. "Twenty Year Blues" is really much more of a cause for joyous celebration than it is any cause to be sorrowful or sad, a theme found in many of the songs presented. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)
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New, but still the same
arnold mcaulay | Claresholm, Alberta Canada | 02/10/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Fans of NBB who despaired at the exit of Roland White and Gene Libbea should buy this disc and give it a listen. All of musical class this band has owned for many years is still there. The instrumentals are brilliant to say the least,proving that they can nail "traditional bluegrass" as solid as ever. "Pretty Red Lips", composed and performed by newcomer Mike Compton is a deligthful instrumental. The vocal magic of Enright/O'Bryant shine through in songs like "travellin' Railroad Man Blues" and "Rockin' Chair Money". While still a bluegrass band as their name suggests, they aren't afraid to deviate into alternative music on this recording, like the vocal "Hush" and the Bill Dale song "Luckiest Man Alive"All in all, evry fan of NBB needs to own this disc, and if you've never owed them, this would be a dany to start with."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1