The two-disc set
Clinch Mountain Country
is a treasure that amazes and inspires at every turn.
Ralph Stanley
is one of the true greats of American music. Kicking off with an all-time favorite,
"How Mountain Girls Can Love,"
the set features
Stanley
's signature clawhammer banjo style and the distinctive mountain harmonies perfected by himself and his brother, the late
Carter Stanley
. Other guests from the music world include
Dwight Yoakam
,
Marty Stuart
Bob Dylan
Patty Loveless
BR5-49
Rhonda Vincent
Gillian Welch
Laurie Lewis
Junior Brown
Vern Gosdin
Vince Gill
, and many others. One of the most poignant tracks is
the Clinch Mountain Boys
, and
country & western
master
George Jones
singing
"The Window Up Above."
The meeting of
and
Jones
is a monumental moment in music history. Together their voices blend effortlessly on a song that
wrote so many years ago. Also significant is the prominence of
Ralph II
, the man who will carry on the legacy his father and uncle began in the mountains of Virginia.
's high-lonesome vocal style is unlike any other sound, and he is without peer in the world of
bluegrass
music. This collection of tunes, many written by
Carter
and/or
Ralph
, is evidence of the heartfelt, soul-nourishing music
the Carters
brought out of the western Virginia Highlands and gave to the world. A worthy follow-up to the 1992 two-CD release
Saturday Night & Sunday Morning
. ~ Jana Pendragon