Musicians who know how to lay Jimmy's music down right

Playing Time - 48:19 -- This album opens with Sonny Osborne proclaiming, "Jimmy Martin is one of the best bluegrass pickers in this country today." So what better way to produce a tribute album to The King of Bluegrass than to assemble four alumni of the Jimmy's Sunny Mountain Boys -- Audie Blaylock, Kenny Ingram, J.D. Crowe, and Paul Williams. Blaylock spent the longest time with Jimmy -- from 1982-1991. Other artists called upon to assist include Jason Moore, Mike Cleveland, Harry Stinson, Ben Isaacs and Sonya Isaacs.



Jimmy Martin's music was a seminal influence that greatly contributed to the growth, development and popularity of bluegrass music. Jimmy also had a unique talent for finding some of the best musicians to produce his trademark "good `n country" sound. On this project, Audie Blaylock does a commendable job recreating the solid guitar work and inspired lead singing that Jimmy offered. A special treat are to hear the tenor and baritone vocals, along with respective mandolin and banjo, of Sunny Mountain Boys Williams and Crowe. Paul Williams even sings the lead on "I'm Thinking Tonight of my Blue Eyes."



The song arrangements (and even many instrumental kickoffs, fills and breaks) that Blaylock and crew use stay remarkably close to the classic arrangements on numbers like "Home Run Man," "Hold Whatcha Got" and others. This tribute album, however, provides a little boost in tempo to "Hold Whatcha Got." Just as with an earlier rendition, Paul Williams sings lead vocals on the verses, and tenor on the choruses, for cuts like "There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone." Another example, "Losing You," has Sonya Isaacs' high baritone in place of the original Vernon Derrick's. And she also adds a true-to-form high baritone on "Steppin' Stones" (as Lois Johnson once did with Martin back in 1961). In at least one case, the vocal arrangement is embellished from a traditional version. A trio for "I Cried Again" is a case in point whereas I believe that Jimmy Martin originally just recorded this number as a duet.



In recent times, Jimmy Martin has been fighting cancer, and we all wish him the best. An album tribute to this great musician from Sneedville, Tn. is certainly a fitting way to honor the 1995 IBMA Hall of Honor inductee. This group of friends and musicians also know how to lay Jimmy's music down right. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)