Ralph Stanley
Old-Time Pickin’
Rebel Records
Subtitled A Clawhammer Banjo Collection, if anyone wanted to argue that the rhythmic, frailing style of mountain banjo playing doesn’t belong in bluegrass, this forty minute collection would serve as a solid refute.
In the space of 18 uplifting tunes- fully half of which are culled from the Rebel archives and were previously unreleased- Dr. Ralph Stanley takes listeners on a journey from his earliest days playing songs taught to him by his mother (Shout Little Lulie) to a powerhouse take of Battle Ax recorded in 1996. Several tracks from as recent as 2000 and 2001 are revealed, including notable takes of Married Life Blues and Cripple Creek.
Ralph Stanley is a bluegrass and mountain music legend, and this collection with its wide variety of material not previously released on CD- capturing him both at the peak of his game and in his days as a still capable elder statesman of the 5-string banjo- is a welcome addition to his canon.
