Fall Like Rain

Justin Moses

Mountain Fever Records

MFR-110100

If ever there was a “showcase album,” Justin Moses’ Fall Like Rain fits the bill.  Many artists write songs for and sing on their albums, but not that many also play EVERY INSTRUMENT.  Add to that an all-star lineup of bluegrass performers and you have a top-shelf CD.

Moses should be a household name having played with Ricky Skaggs, Blue Moon Rising, Dan Tyminski, Blue Highway and the Gibson Brothers. He is now on his way to becoming a band leader with Fall Like Rain.

The title song is a cover of a 1998 cut on Eric Clapton’s Pilgrim album. It’s a fantastic kickoff with Moses taking a turn on banjo and Dobro™ and providing the vocals. As strong as it is, it has several challenges for “top song” from other tracks.

He’s joined on several songs by his wife, Sierra Hull, one of the top mandolin players on the planet and she brings harmony vocals to “Walking to Lebanon,” which Moses wrote with Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper. The trio also collaborated on “Looking for a Place.” Moses also penned “Watershed,” “Taxland,” “Locust Hill” and “Wise & Born.” 

Dan Tyminski adds vocals on “Between the Lightning and the Thunder,” and Del McCoury guests on “My Baby’s Gone,” while Shawn Lane is on “Looking for a Place.”  Other contributors are Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton, Cody Kilby, Barry Bales, Dennis Parker and Jerry Douglas.

Even with all the big names, make no mistake, Moses stretches out as the star of this show. It’s hard to ask for much more from a bluegrass album and Fall Like Rain should place him on the top shelf of today’s performers.