Mandolinist Dwight McCall's debut solo project demonstrates that he's not only a great instrumentalist, but he's also an excellent vocalist and songwriter too. He sings lead and at least one harmony part on every one of the sixteen songs presented. His repertoire comes from material penned by well-established and reputable songwriters -- Clint Black, Mark Brinkman, Pete Kuykendall, Norman Wright, Randall Hylton, Harley Allen, Jon Weisberger, and others. I was surprised that it's unknown who wrote the title cut, "Kentucky Peace of Mind." McCall himself arranged the gospel number, "Where You Gonna Hide?," and he composed "The Love That We Once Knew."

Dwight McCall has assembled an impressive cast of accompanists, many of whom are members of his current band, J.D Crowe and the New South. These bandmates include bluegrass pioneer J.D. Crowe on banjo, Kentuckian Rickey Wasson on guitar, 2000 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year Ron Stewart, and young Kentucky bassman Harold Nixon. Others assisting include Brian Stephens (guitar), Josh Williams (mandolin), Randy Kohrs (dobro), Randy Pollard (vox) and Kandace Jaymes (vox, one cut).

McCall has a bright and breezy tenor voice that is not too dissimilar from Don Rigsby's. With 16 vocal cuts, an inherent weakness of the project is its lack of variation. Many of the songs have similar tempos, and, while the musicianship is very proficient, too much similarity can implicitly make it a bit tedious. To prove my point, I gave this album my "metronome test." Of the 16 tracks, eleven fall neatly within 112-120 beats per minute. Two more ("Help Me Lord" and "She Did it for the Love") are real close by at 103 and 108 beats, respectively. In all fairness, the three slower numbers which are all about 60 beats/minute do provide some respite, but just not enough on a project of this length and magnitude. These three songs, "Kentucky Peace of Mind," "I Cried Myself Awake," and "Behind These Prison Walls of Love," even have a certain similarity in their tempo and arrangement. Where's the real slow belly rubber? Why not include a waltz-time ballad? Where's the hell-raising barnburners? Where's the instrumental or two?

The son of bluegrass musician Jim McCall, Dwight was raised in Maryland, moved to Cincinnati as a teenager, and played and recorded with Union Springs. He joined the Country Gentlemen, then became a member of the New South in 1996. McCall appears on the New South's "Come On Down To My World" 1999 album, on Scottie Sparks' debut project in 1999, on Dan Tyminski's solo album, and on the award-winning Stanley Gospel Tradition project released by Doobie Shea Records. "Kentucky Peace of Mind" will further McCalls' reputation as a consummate bluegrass professional who has great technical skills and an extensive network of first-rate musician friends. While there's solid music on this album, I only wish that McCall's song selection would  have strived for a little more overall diversity. (Joe Ross)

DWIGHT McCALL - Kentucky Peace of Mind
Lavenir CD-1091
www.lavenirrecords.com
 
Playing Time - 48:21
Songs - 1. Tennessee Border, 2. Perfect After All, 3. Kentucky Peace Of Mind, 4. A Better Man, 5. Where You Gonna Hide, 6. My Caroline In Carolina, 7. I Cried Myself Awake, 8. Yesterday's Gone,9. There'll Be No Blind Ones There, 10. Behind These Prison Walls Of Love, 11. She Did It For The Love, 12. Getting You Out Of The Way, 13. The Love that We Once Knew, 14. Help Me Lord, 15. Wildwood Flower Blues, 16. Handsome Molly