"Everything Blue is New Again"

Track List

The first name that caught my eye was Dan Tyminski, who is quoted as saying, "In order for Bluegrass music to thrive in the years to come, new generations of pickers must emerge . . . Upon listening to his new solo recording I pretty much expected some great picking and was not disappointed.  What I didn't expect was such a great-sounding voice . . . I am eager to see what the future will hold for Josh and I believe his star is just beginning to shine."  Automatically, the young fellow on the cover earned my respect, to have gotten such glowing praise from Tyminski.  The next name I noticed was mandolin player Chris Thile on several tracks. Better still!

After an initial listen, I decided I wanted to know more about Josh, so I went to the website listed on the disc ( www.pinecastle.com ) to check it out.  I found that Josh Williams is the son of Tony Williams and has been playing himself since the age of five.  Now 20, he plays guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and fiddle, with regional and national awards under his belt and considerable experience backing up others before setting out on his own with this very solid solo effort.  (The disc is also available for sale at this site.)

In addition to Chris Thile, Josh has packed some serious bluegrass talent onto this first disc, enlisting Sammy Shelor and J.D. Crowe on banjo, Ron Stewart and Aubrey Haynie on fiddle, Jim Hurt on guitar, Ray Craft, Carl Jackon, Ron Rigsby, and Missy Raines on backup vocals.  This is in addition to Josh's own considerable talent on stringed instruments.  He also used considerable smarts in choosing songs, including the writing talents of Tom T. and Dixie Hall, Carl Jackson, Marvin Davis, John Malcolm Penn, Scottie M. Henson; and, to demonstrate the full range of his talents, Josh contributes a song from his own pen, the title track, "Now That You're Gone." Overall, Josh's debut album is very simple and pleasant.  The songs are worthy, a gentle blend of new-style bluegrass ("new grass," if you will) and backwoods real country music that is just this side of mainstream - some tracks seem "Nickel Creek" enough that they could very easily slip past the guardians of New Country radio and get some mainstream airplay.

Notably, the self-penned title track could sneak into the mainstream. However, don't get the mistaken idea that Josh sounds pop!  This is country music, if not pure, unadulterated bluegrass.  But for everything, the talented players and the pleasing songs, what leaps out on this recording and makes me think Josh is going somewhere and somewhere good, is his absolutely phenomenal singing voice.  He may be an award-winning picker and a good writer, but to top it all off, he has a gorgeous tenor voice with excellent range and tremendous delivery.  

By the third track, the chilling "An Eye for An Eye," I was rapt.  He follows it with "You Can Keep Your Nine Pound Hammer," an old J.D. Crowe song, done in pure old-timey bluegrass style.  Next up is the Tom T. and Dixie Hall gospel track, "There's Always a Light in the Church."  I particularly like Don Rigsby's "high lonesome" background vocals on this cut.  Next is a bright change of pace, as "All of You" is an almost Bob Wills-style swing tune, heavy on the fiddle and a lot of fun.  Josh stretches those beautiful vocals with "Many A Mile," a fairly straightforward bluegrass arrangement. "Tennessee Blues," likewise, is a sweet bluegrass song, the simplistic presentation allowing Josh's fine voice to shine.  "If It Were Anyone But You" leads into the final four tracks of the disc, and while these songs may not have been recorded in this order, it's here I find what I consider to be the strongest part of the overall album.  "If It Were Anyone" is again very nearly mainstream, but the lyrics are excellent and the vocals tremendous.  This would be an excellent radio single.

The final three are, to me, the best songs.  They're certainly my favorites.  I don't know if it's my sense of nostalgia or just the beauty of the lyrics or both.  "Last Widow of the Civil War" is an old-fashioned story song, sweet and mournful; then "Medicine Show," a salute to the charming con artists of a bygone era, and lastly, "Moonlight Motor Inn," a wave farewell to our own vanishing American landscape: "So if you're passing on your way from Palm Springs to L.A., give a wave to good old Dave, say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn."  It gives me chills and brings a tear to my eye, and reminds me somewhat of Chris Wall's "The End of the Rainbow Inn," which deals with the same subject. I hope to hear a lot more from Josh in the coming years. 

Kathy Coleman Take Country Back February 2002

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