All Suited Up
The Kody Norris Show
For a minute or five, a listener might think they’ve pulled the latest Kody Norris Show CD from the vintage bin, not from the new releases pile of 2021. Don’t let the young face fool you—the sound is deeply traditional on All Suited Up.
None other than bluegrass veteran Greg Cahill of Special Consensus offered this on the liner notes: “Kody grew up listening to and playing bluegrass music—it is in his bones, in his DNA.”
It’s the fourth offering the group and this one has some classics, but also five tunes penned by Norris: “Kentucky Darlin’,” “Love Bug,” Farmin’ Man,” “Let’s Go Strollin’,” and “Lady of the Evening.”
All of the songs, regardless of when they were written, work together to create a hard driving, fast moving album of from the roots up bluegrass. “Virginia Bound” is a foot-tapper and there’s even a good old killin’ song with “In the Shade of the Big Buffalo.”
The picking and singing are stellar on this effort from top to bottom. Norris is backed by his wife/fiddler Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris and banjo player Josiah Tyree. Mark Fain handled bass duties on the recording, Darin Aldridge took a turn on mandolin on three tracks and Jason Barie offered fiddle work on five tunes.
