Live in Europe

Although Sally Jones is fairly ubiquitous in the world of bluegrass music, this album travels a little off the beaten path. These recordings start in the earlier years of Sally Jones’s transatlantic tour with the Sidewinders, featuring Kristin Scott Benson on banjo, Mickey Harris on bass, and Brad Meinerding on mandolin. The rest of the record features her husband Chris Jones and his band the Night Drivers: Aaron Till on fiddle, Jon Weisberger on bass and Ned Luberecki on banjo. She’s even joined by her daughter Joanna, who sings lead on the traditional “Once I Caught a Fish Alive.” Live in Europe captures the more intimate, lesser-known tunes Sally loves playing live.

Canadian-born Sally Jones comes from humble beginnings, starting as a backup singer for Marie Osmond. She then went on to perform with Petticoat Junction before starting her own solo project. Sally is known for her unique interpretation of the traditional bluegrass craft. She’s more of a cruising-through-the-country kinda gal, and less into the Appalachian sound of the more traditional artists in the genre. Her first solo album, Love Hurts, featured the title track written by the Everly Brothers, made popular by Nazareth with their power-ballad rendition in the seventies. She’s certainly fearless, as covers of popular music can make fans skeptical in this field, but she does it with valor and grace. 

But bluegrass purists don’t despair, for there’s still a whole lot of good stuff to find in Live in Europe.  A traditional composition “Bill Cheatham” sends picks and bows a flyin’ and A.P. Carter’s “Lonesome For You” is a flurry of picking and singing as well. Sally is also a Kate Wolf fan and covers songs like “Carolina Pines” and “Across the Great Divide.” “Someday Soon” is a personal favorite, showcasing the silky vocal style of Jones. Sally chose these tunes because they’re not featured on any of her earlier recordings. This album showcases years of hard work and playing, and is sure to warm the soul.