Review: The Circuit Riders - Let the Ride Begin

(Pinecastle) The Circuit Riders'  "Let the Ride Begin" is a strong debut album that earns accolades for a smooth, contemporary approach to bluegrass. Presumably adopting a band name to reflect the lifestyle of a working band, the quintet from North Carolina can impart an exhilarating gallop to Neil Young's "Powderfinger" or a slow cantor to yet another contribution from the prolific songwriting team of Dixie and Tom T. Hall, "Mama What Does Heaven Look Like There?" About a traveling musician, "Colder and Colder" is a beautiful song but seems to slightly challenge singer Greg Luck's low vocal range on the verses. Overall, the band's vocals are burnished and calibrated, and their instrumental interaction provides a model of competence and intelligence.

As a band, The Circuit Riders evolved from former members of the last version of The Country Gentlemen with Charlie Waller prior to his passing. While Randy Waller has reorganized The Country Gentlemen, former members Greg Corbett (banjo), Darin Aldridge (mandolin), and Billy Gee (bass) formed The Circuit Riders with Greg Luck (guitar) and Jaret Carter (resophonic guitar). Luck wrote "Lonesome Wind" and "The Fall" for this album. Aldridge penned "Seeds of Doubt" and "Ten Years." Lead vocalists are mainly sung by Luck or Aldridge, but Carter delivers them on "Take Me Back to Old Kentucky." Carter's "Pickett's Charge" is a smoldering instrumental inspired by a famous Civil War battle. Another classic instrumental, "Foggy Mountain Special," clearly shows that Corbett has cut his teeth on the picking of Earl Scruggs, and he also shows that he has mastered the technique for rolling triplets too.

Greg Luck has played with such groups as Redwing, Lost & Found, Bass Mountain Boys, Lynn Morris Band, Bluegrass Cardinals, J.D. Crowe & the New South, and IIIrd Tyme Out. Not just a solid guitarist, he contributes some elegant fiddling on two cuts on this project, "Mama What Does Heaven Look Like There?" and "Pickett's Charge." After playing with his family band and New Vintage, North Carolinian Greg Corbett spent 13 years as a Country Gentleman. In 1996, he took home the SPBGMA Banjo Player of the Year award. Darin Aldridge has experience playing music in various genres (country, jazz, folk, rock) and was with The Country Gentlemen for seven years. Listen to how he embellishes Luck's "The Fall" with bouzouki and mandola. Darin has also released a solo album, "Call It A Day" on the Pinecastle label. Jaret Carter also has experience playing country-rock, jazz and blues, and he gives about 50 private music lessons each week. Billy Gee was born and raised in La Plata, Md. but currently lives in North Carolina where he operates a guitar repair business. On this album, Wes Powers plays percussion on two cuts. "Let the Ride Begin" is a very convincing entree  from The Circuit Riders. (Joe Ross)