DANNY PAISLEY & THE SOUTHERN GRASS
DANNY PAISLEY & THE SOUTHERN GRASS
THAT’S WHY I’M LONESOME
Patuxent Music
CD-311
If you’ve ever seen Danny Paisley in concert, he likely will have said something like, “If you’re here for real traditional bluegrass, you’re in the right place.” The same can be said of Paisley’s latest release That’s Why I’m Lonesome.
While most singers seek out songs that suit their voices, Danny has the unique ability to take any song, whether a cover or someone else’s original, and make it a Danny Paisley song. Such is the case with the title-track written by Tom Mindte, a classic sounding honky-tonk country song. The song selection on this album includes classic country songs given the Paisley treatment (“Rainbow Of My Dreams,” “No Vacancy,” “Light At The River,” “Will You Visit Me On Sundays”), driving bluegrass (“I’ve Never Been So Lonesome,” “Walking Back To Bluefield,” “Harold’s Super Service,” “Who Do You Think You’re Foolin’”), and a nice tip of the hat to his dad, the late Bob Paisley, with “Does It Have To End This Way.” In the vein of father/son vocal collaborations, young Ryan Paisley provides lead vocals on the choruses of “Does It Have To End This Way,” “No Vacancy,” and “Walking Back To Bluefield,” all foreshadowing the future Paisley sound.
Ryan also provides hard-driving mandolin on the album, including on his own “Mullingar Quickstep.” Mark Delaney’s banjo playing sparkles throughout this album, from bouncy piano-sounding breaks on country songs to hard-driving bluegrass kickoffs on his own instrumental “Running Late.” Fiddler TJ Lundy is featured on “Cattle In The Cane,” providing the solid bluegrass fiddle style for which he’s known. Bobby Lundy, well-known as a great banjo player in past versions of Bob and Danny Paisleys’ bands, plays bass on this album and provides harmony vocals. Lundy understands the Paisley sound well and evokes memories of sibling Mike Paisley holding down the low end. All around, another fine effort from Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass. (Patuxent Music, P.O. Box 572, Rockville, MD 20848, www.pxrec.com.)TK
