'Round the Table Again
A high-spirited musical eclecticism sparks this concert recording, as virtuoso flat-picking guitarist Doc Watson teams with Frosty Morn, the group formed by Watson's late son Merle in the mid-1970s. Merle Watson started Frosty Morn to play a wider range of material than he and Doc generally performed, and the band frequently toured as the Watsons' concert opener. For this reunion, which features Doc's grandson Richard in his father Merle's spot, the selection ranges from the traditional spiritual "Walking in Jerusalem" to the pop standard "Sincerely" to theMoody Blues' "Nights in White Satin" (Doc proclaims himself a huge fan). Mainly, though, the set showcases Doc's proficiency and the group's interplay on various other shades of blues--fromMississippi John Hurt's "CC Rider" andMance Lipscomb's "Sugar Babe" toMerle Haggard's "Working Man Blues" andJimmie Rodgers's "Jimmie's Mean Mamma Blues." Though Frosty Morn disbanded after Merle's fatal car accident in 1985, the storytelling and songs of their annual reunion keep his musical memory alive.--Don McLeese