BLUE CANYON BOYS

BLUE CANYON BOYS

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The Blue Canyon Boys have become one of the premier bands to rise out of the Rocky Mountains West. They have toured the U.S., the Far East, and have gathered a fairly large following wherever they perform. The band is Drew Garrett (bass), Jason Hicks (guitar), Gary Dark (mandolin), and Chris Elliott (banjo). On this project, they included guest Ernie Martinez (pedal steel). This is a really nice project that includes seven originals from band members. Hicks penned “One Lonely Thought Of You,” “Riding On That Northbound Train,” “Just An Old Dirt Road,” and “Old George’s Repent.” Dark’s compositions include “Wake Up, The Party’s Over,” “This Heart Of Mine,” and “Shinjuku Station,” and Elliot wrote “The Road To Westcliffe.” Other selections include Monroe’s “Get Down On Your Knees And Pray,” Betty Sue Perry’s “Roll Muddy River,” and Buck Owen’s “There Goes My Love” with Martinez’s pedal steel adding the country flavor. Highlights include the honky-tonk “Wake Up The Party’s Over,” the spirited version of “Born To Be With You,” and a really interesting take on Pink Floyd’s “Time.” The group is very good both vocally and instrumentally and seems to have a good career ahead of them. (Blue Canyon Boys, P.O. Box 1732, Lyons, CO 80540, www.bluecanyonboys.com.)BF