Songs From The Homeplace
Like legends such as the Osborne Brothers before them, the  McReynolds boys have turned up on Orlando, Florida's Pinecastle  Records. Now in their 70s, Jim and Jesse are in a reflective mood,  reviving the songs they knew when music was a family pastime, not a  career. To wit, these cuts lean more toward traditional close-harmony  country than true bluegrass; the exception is the closer "Long  Journey Home," on which mandolinist Jesse and banjo man Allen  Shelton show they can still hot-pick it when they choose. Mostly, they  offer relaxed readings of chestnuts from people such as the Carters and  Grandpa Jones, emphasizing heartfelt, delicate vocals over instrumental  prowess. Emmylou Harris and producer Carl Jackson fill out the  harmonies on two songs each. The only original, Jesse's "My Time  Is Running Out," seemingly explains the impetus behind the record.  He conjures up images of "the old red barn … mama washing dirty  clothes …  two little boys running around with a dirty nose … and the  cornfields where we used to work all day," reminding him "how  time can slip away."--Marc Greilsamer