Bluegrass

by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.Jim Lauderdale is both eclectic and prolific, working steadfastly within the Americana/ roots field, recording and releasing a slew of projects with everyone from bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley to jam band Donna the Buffalo. In his latest incarnation, he has simultaneously released two projects, one, Country Super Hits, Vol. 1, delving into classic honky tonk, the other, Bluegrass, delving deeply into country music's most rustic subgenre. One might guess that with a title like Bluegrass Lauderdale intends to reinterpret the classics from yesteryear, but that isn't the case. Instead, he has written and co-written new songs within the tradition. As his former project with Stanley (I Feel Like Singing Today) suggests, Lauderdale is drawn to traditional bluegrass, though his song structures, as with "I Shouldn't Want You So Bad," expand beyond the genre's conservative past. The acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin, banjo, and fiddle arrangements, and Lauderdale's country-flavored vocals, reinforce the rootsy sound. The solid harmony (nicely done on "Who's Leaving Who") is icing on this old-fashioned cake. The downside to the collection is that there is already a great deal of bluegrass on the market, and while it's always fun to hear an outsider's take on the genre, it's hard for Lauderdale to match the vocals of a singer like Karl Shiftlett or put together a band as hot as Del McCoury's. In other words, as good as these songs sound, they add very little to the tradition. But alternative country fans will appreciate Lauderdale's refresher course on Bluegrass, nonetheless, and more than likely want to pick up the Country Super Hits, Vol. 1 collection too.