Live at Greenfield Lake
If there’s a complaint to be made about the Steep Canyon Rangers’ 2021 live album North Carolina Songbook, it’s that it was too short. At eight songs, the album covered a range of artists from Thelonious Monk to James Taylor to Ben E. King to Doc Watson. It met rave reviews and was nominated for a Grammy.
The North Carolina-based outfit has remedied the length problem and more with their latest live effort, Live at Greenfield Lake, a 16-song juggernaut.
The album was recorded in the Tar Heel State at Greenfield Lake, an outdoor venue in Wilmington, North Carolina. While the setlist may be favorites fans know by heart, the band really stretches its legs to give everything a fresh take, with longer breaks and jams and spontaneity one typically only gets in person. A prime example is the nine and a half minute “Tell the Ones I Love,” which runs a little over four minutes on the studio version. It’s hard to imagine there will be a complaint.
The Steep Canyon Rangers have been around since 2000 and were well established when comedian and banjoist Steve Martin asked them to join him on tour. It did wonders for the band’s national exposure, but on their own is where they shine and have permanent residence on the top tier of the bluegrass world.
They’ve faced challenges such as the departure of founding member Charles Humphrey III years ago and more recently, original member Woody Platt, whose vocals helped estabish their distinctive sound from the start. However, Aaron Burdett has stepped in on guitar and vocals and founder/banjo player Graham Sharp takes wonderful turns at lead and is one of the finest and most prolific writers in the entire genre. Mike Guggino (mandolin), Nicky Sanders (fiddle), Barret Smith (bass), and Mike Ashworth (drums/dobro) round out the group.
Live at Greenfield Lake is heavy on songs from Arm in Arm, arguably SCR’s finest work. Among the best are “Sunny Days,” “Afterglow,” and “Take My Mind.” “Morning Shift” and “Fare Thee Well, Carolina Girls” are from the most recent album. Burdett wrote and recorded “Fruits of My Labor” as a solo artist years ago, and the band wisely gave this soulful masterpiece another turn.
At 25 years, there’s no way to get all the hits into one show, much less one album. In addition to Grammy nominations, they’ve had the stage at the IBMA awards, too, including an Entertainer of the Year. This is the closest one can get to seeing SCR live and it’s extremely well done and thought out, hitting on all cylinders to give the fans what they want, especially the extended versions.
There’s a problem though: it’s still too short.
