VARIOUS ARTISTS, GONNA SING GONNA SHOUT

VARIOUS ARTISTS
GONNA SING GONNA SHOUT

Billy Blue Records
BBR-0824

What do you get when you cross one of the most prolific writers in bluegrass and gospel with one of the best-known producers, songwriters, and artists, along with an all-star cast of musicians? A stick of dynamite.

It’s hard to describe Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout: From The Pen Of Rick Lang, the new bluegrass gospel release from Billy Blue Records. Lang, who has had over 80 of his tunes recorded over multiple genres, features 12 tracks here, with contributions by Dave Adkins, Marty Raybon, The Whites, Jerry Salley, Claire Lynch, Bradley Walker, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Larry Cordle, Mike Bub, Justin Moses, Aaron McDaris, Larry Stephenson, Tammy King, Brandon Rickman, and Josh Swift, among several others. Salley produced the project, which features top-notch vocals and picking with a deep, rich quality that should appeal to bluegrass gospel fans as one of the best efforts in recent years.

It’s hard to single out one cut over the others, as they are so seamlessly arranged, but Lynch has the perfect touch on the title-track, and The Whites will have even the tightest seat-bound listener tapping to “Don’t Tune Him Out.” Cordle’s “Sunday Morning Gospel Jubilee” has already seen air time on SiriusXM. Adkins and Raybon each take two turns, with Adkins bookending the project. There’s no doubt, you’ll hear about this one come IBMA voting time. (www.billybluerecords.com)MKB