THE MOLLY ROSE BAND

THE MOLLY ROSE BAND
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT

Patuxent Music
CD-285

Patuxent Music continues its welcome promotion of bands that hold to the traditional sound of the first generation of bluegrass bands. This latest find is The Molly Rose Band from the Danville, Va., area and led by banjoist Lynwood Lunsford. Lunsford is the most recognizable name in the group and his taut, clear banjo leads and fills are a strong part of the band’s overall success. The rest of the group includes mandolinist and tenor singer David Lewis, bassist and baritone vocalist Gary Baird and guitarist and principal lead vocalist Mark Hudson.

Hudson contributes four originals, including the fast-stepping opener “Westward Bound,” the closer “Why Did You Leave Me Little Darlin’,” and his gospel number “Burden Of Sin.” His memory song “A Better Place In Time” is not far off, but a little predictable. Lunsford also wrote two—the expressive and tuneful “Mary Rose” and the honky-tonk “Drinking Her Memory Down.” Mandolinist Lewis works in a nifty touch of “East Tennessee Blues” on his solo on the latter. All of those originals fit perfectly alongside the seven covers that round out the album, including Pete Pike’s wonderful “Go And Leave Me, I Don’t Mind,” the classics “I Haven’t Seen Mary In Years” and “Don’t Let Smoky Mountain Smoke Get In Your Eyes,” and the serene gospel “Trading My Cross For A Crown.

Were this group and this recording from back in the heyday of the first generation, say in the 1950s, it would probably find a reasonable following. That should hold true today. Well-played and enjoyable. (Patuxent Music, P.O. Box 572, Rockville, MD 20848, www.pxrec.com.)BW