It's Just the Nightby Anonymous

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October 13, 2003: It's hard to imagine that the Del McCoury Band, eight time winner of Bluegrass Entertainer of the Year, can continue to get better and better. Could it be that Del's 40 years of experience make him one of the most skilled in the business? Could it be that his singing epitomizes the heart and soul of bluegrass music? Could it be that the band includes some of the best and engaging instrumentalists today? Could it be that the group navigated head-on into the new millenium with snappy material that is eclectic and tastefully rendered? The answers to all of the above are an undeniable "YES!" For those not familiar with Del, the North Carolina native began playing bluegrass at age 14. He's picked from The Virginia Playboys to Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys, the Golden State Boys to the Shady Valley Boys, and The Dixie Pals in 1967 which renamed to the Del McCoury Band in 1987. This master of the bluegrass vocal style has always sang his heart out with a unique, signature flair. The perfect winning combination came about a decade ago when he united his veteran experience with the youthful energy of his two sons, Ron (mandolin) and Rob (banjo), along with Jason Carter (fiddle) and Mike Bub (bass). All of them are an award-winning musicians who are individually vituosic, yet also tuned into how to present a powerful and explosive highly-arranged ensemble sound. Finally, the Del McCoury Band's repertoire is compelling, and it succeeds with an emotional impact that makes listeners sit up and take notice of the strong images that are invoked. The band's signature sound is best described as bracing and novel, yet still respecting the sideboards of traditional presentation. I'd sure like to know more about their song selection process, and how they decide what songs to adapt to their bluegrass presentation. In keeping with a past winning formula, this project, their first on their own new McCoury Music label, opens and closes with two Richard Thompson love-gone-wrong pieces, "Dry My Tears and Move On," and "Two-Faced Love." And whoever would've thought that they'd cover Delbert McClinton and Gary Nicholson's "Same Kind of Crazy As Me," but why not? The song emphasizes the blues in bluegrass. Young country musician and excellent songwriter Shawn Camp co-penned the spirited "My Love Will Not Change" with Billy Burnett. Other numbers come from various other well-known Nashville musicians and songwriters like Austin Cunningham, Verlon Thompson, and Charley Stefl, and ones I know less about like Ron Smith, Linda Gifford, and H.R. Cook. All of us baby boomer bluegrassers should be able to relate to Smith's waltz-timed "Let An Old Racehorse Run," and Del's modulation to a higher key reinforces the message and shows that he still feels his oats too. A perfect song for Halloween, the slower title track appears a third into the album, and the Fairfield Four's spooky vocal fills contrast to Del's confident assurances. It's nice to see the band's solely instrumental barnburner, "Hillcrest Drive," come from the pen of their own Ronnie McCoury. And with a strong nod to tradition, Don Reno's "I Can Hear the Angels Singing," showcases the band's dynamic quartet. Solidly contemporary bluegrass in styling, but lacking something unique, is "I'm Afraid I Forgot the Feelin'" that comes from Dan Presley and his son, Jeff, guitarist with the Virginia-based...