Lost in the Lonesome Pines
Beyond his devoted alt-country following, Jim Lauderdale is best known as the writer of mainstream hits for superstars likeGeorge Straitand theDixie Chicks. Yet the North Carolina-born singer-songwriter first came to Nashville as a bluegrass picker. And on this exuberant follow-up toI Feel Like Singing Today, their Grammy-nominated 1999 collaboration, Lauderdale and bluegrass king Ralph Stanley, backed by Stanley’s longtime band, the Clinch Mountain Boys, put their voices and hearts together on 14 down-home selections (most written or cowritten by Lauderdale). Cuts range from lighthearted high-lonesome celebrations ("Quit That" and "She’s Looking at Me") to fervent gospel outings like "Zacchaeus," "Oh Soul!" and "Listen to the Shepherd." As both a writer and singer, Lauderdale demonstrates both an abiding affection for and intuitive grasp of bluegrass music.--Bob Allen