WYATT RICE & DAN MENZONE ALLIANCE, SOMETHING OUT OF THE BLUE

WYATT RICE & DAN MENZONE ALLIANCE
SOMETHING OUT OF THE BLUE

Mountain Fever
MFR 160318

This alliance is the basis for some fine picking and singing. Wyatt Rice will be known to all, but those who have been asleep, as brother to the legendary Tony Rice. Dan Menzone is his picking partner and a fine banjo picker. Neither one sings here, so we enjoy Russell Moore, Dale Ann Bradley, Richard Bennett, and John Rigsby on vocals at different times. Fred Carpenter’s fiddle, Rob Ickes’ resonator guitar, and Adam Steffey’s mandolin are featured throughout. Ron Rice plays bass on all but one cut, “Grey Rain,” where Eric Seay stands in.

There are seven instrumentals and they feature top-rate picking. Rice’s guitar could have been featured a bit more, but with all of the talent presented, he does a stellar job on lead and support.

The CD opens with Russell Moore belting out “Lonesome Highway” with Dale Ann and Dan Boner filling out the trio. Rigsby belts out “I Know What It Means To Be Lonesome.” He and Bradley also do a fine job on the old Moon Mullican cut “I’ll Sail My Ship Alone.” Richard Bennett and Rigsby do a fine reading of “Another Town.” Instrumentally, they tear the house down, but there is a nice quiet respite on “Grey Rain” that features some real nice guitar by Rice. This is a well-done recording that features a lot of talent. (Mountain Fever, 1177 Alum Ridge Rd. NW, Willis, VA 24380, www.mountainfever.com.)RCB