High Lonesome
The acclaimed 1997Longviewdebut was probably intended to be a one-time-only, lightning-in-a-bottle bluegrass vocal summit. Two and a half years later, the sextet tries to recapture the magic and succeeds beyond all expectations. What's most amazing about these 14 performances is the way the voices seamlessly mesh despite the sporadic nature of the band. This set focuses on second-generation masters such asLarry SparksandJimmy Martinas well as more-obscure but highly talented regional figures, but there are notable exceptions: the title track comes from the 1991 Randy Travisalbum of the same nameand features exquisitely aching vocals fromJames King(lead), Dudley Connell, andDon Rigsby. Joe Mullins's high tenor hair-raisingly soars over Connell's lead onA.P. Carter's "Little Annie." And on theStanley Brothers' "Angels Are Singing"--the actual spark that ignited the Longview fire at an impromptu 1994 jam--King, Connell, and Rigsby turn in the kind of passionate performance that must have touched them so that very first time. With Glen Duncan's fiddles and Mullins's banjo leading the way, the sublime harmonies offer just the right balance of exuberance, emotion, and taste.--Marc Greilsamer