MP3 Big Country Bluegrass - My Old Virginia Home

Hardcore traditional bluegrass.

14 MP3 Songs in this album (41:56) !
Related styles: COUNTRY: Traditional Bluegrass, COUNTRY: Bluegrass



Details:
While many bluegrass groups deliver lively vocal and instrumental performance and artistry, none has the native born talent that youâll hear on this fifth release of Big Country Bluegrass on the Hay Holler label. Big Country Bluegrass, founded by Tommy and Teresa Sells14 years ago, delivers obviously heartfelt reverence for the traditions, life themes and faith of Appalachian people, and more specifically Blue Ridge mountain people.

Longing for home and family is present in Teresaâs lead singing on âIâm Longing For My Old Virginia Home,â and in new Big Country guitarist and singer Jimmy Trivetteâs rendition of âMamaâs Crown.â Jimmyâs rich tenor vocals are joined on this recording by the pitch-perfect resonant fiddle work of Tom Brantley, who demonstrates his vocal range as well, singing lead, low tenor and bass on this album.

The work life of Appalachian folks is present in hard driving songs âCarolina Moonshinerâ and âLong Haul Truckinâ.â On Lee Highway Blues, Tom Brantley displays the ability to play at blinding tone-perfect speeds and he mimics the manual shift of a logging truck. I swear I can hear the baying of a hound dog in parts of his fiddling on this tune.

Big Countryâs inclusion of four gospel compositions shows the groupâs honoring of the faith that has helped generations to survive and love life in the mountains.

The musicianship on this album is as clearly delivered as the themes about which Big Country sings. Larry Penningtonâs banjo leaps into the room with the urgency youâd expect of a moonshiner making a large sale. Tommy Sellsâ mandolin work is rhythmically solid and not cluttered with attempt to deliver too many notes. The guitar work of Teresa and Jimmy combined with Alan Mastinâs bass fiddle provides the foundation of the drive that characterizes this Blue Ridge Mountain gathering of traditional performers.

Big Country Bluegrass is more than a collection of individually talented musicians and singers ... they are a âshow groupâ whose stage performance radiates intensity and moves their audience to remember and rejoice in roots of traditional music.
Davis C. Tracy, PhD 2001
WDVC, Dickinson College Radio
Carlisle, Pennsylvania