New Horizons (Pinecastle, 2004)
Jesse McReynolds & the Virginia Boys
Reviewed by Greg Milliken
It's good news for all lovers of traditional music that he elected to carry on. Throughout this, McReynolds just flat sings the stuffing out of an engaging mix of bluegrass, honky-tonk, and folk numbers. This isn't over-the-top vocalizing; in fact, it's a rather subdued, somewhat melancholy work. But McReynolds is a master of melody, nuance and harmony, and he finds ways to stamp each song with moments of beauty. The album opens with a blues guitar lick that segues into a jazzy version ofthe Delmore Brothers' "There's More Pretty Girls Than One." On the heels of that classic comes the Dan Seals honky-tonker "I Won't Be Blue Anymore." Other standout cuts include a chills-down-your-spine reading of "In The Pines" and beautiful takes on "Faded Love" and Pee Wee King's haunting "My Main Trial Is Yet To Come." McReynolds gets great backing from the Virginia Boys, featuring his grandson Luke McKnight, and he's joined by John Prine on the final number, Prine's "Paradise."
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