Yesterday a link came up on my Facebook
page to the Prairie Home Companion website that had another link to the new
album by the Gibson Brothers. That album is called “Brotherhood” and it is
being released by Rounder Records on February 24th. Bluegrass radio
stations already have the album and they’ve been playing cuts for a few weeks
now. The Gibson’s appeared recently on the PHC program and it seems that Mr.
Keillor was impressed enough with the new album that he arranged for this
preview link with the record company.
Prairie Home Companion has long been a
showcase for Bluegrass, Americana, old time Jazz and other genres of fine
music. Sometimes it seems like a liberal Grand Old Opry. And that’s a good
thing. Whenever I get the chance I tune in for the music, the humor and the
nostalgic feel of classic radio. The production values are high, the writing is
excellent and Mr. Keillor does the nation a valuable service by keeping the
art-form alive.
So now you know that this old, curmudgeonly
conservative guy likes a PBS mainstay. But my real point here is to tell you
about Eric and Leigh Gibson’s new recording. This collection of “brother duets”
is not just another bunch of high quality songs put together by an extremely
talented band. It certainly fits that description but there’s much more to this
album. This one, taken in the context of the current state of Bluegrass and
country music, should be considered as a new standard of musical excellence.
The Gibson Brothers, by carefully choosing from the vast catalog of old brother
duets and then by adopting them (and adapting them) into their own very
distinct sound and style, have shown that old material can be respected,
renewed, re-presented in a thoroughly modern way.
They have made old time songs timeless.
They have reclaimed and re-worked harmonies and made them natural and real.
What might have been considered American “parlor songs” have been converted to
concert pieces that will satisfy really big audiences as thoroughly as they
were enjoyed in country home “musicales” of decades past. This is American
country music at its finest.
I’m not here to review the album. There
are songs that were originally done by well-known artists like the Everly
Brothers, the Monroe Brothers and the Louvin Brothers. But there are also songs
by groups that most of us have never heard of like the York Brothers. Every
track is a gem. The clarity of the recording is beautiful. The musicianship of
Jesse Brock on mandolin, Clayton Campbell on fiddle and Mike Barber on bass is
solid, supportive, and often nothing short of astounding. Guest musicians like
the McCoury brothers (and others that I can’t name because I don’t have my own
copy yet) add complementing features that truly enhance some of the songs.
But the real joy of this record is the
vocal purity of Leigh and Eric Gibson. Each of the brothers has a distinctive
voice. But when they blend, or do counterpoint, or make jumps into pure high
tenor synchronicity they become something else again. I recall years ago
hearing a very young Alison Kraus do vocal work that made goose-bumps jump up
on my arms. Several tracks on this album by the Gibson Brothers created that
same physical reaction every time I listened. It’s that fine a work of Art.
So order a copy from Rounder or from
Amazon. Better yet find the Gibson Brothers when they appear near you and go to
the show. You’ll be glad you did. And I expect you to thank me for the
suggestion. Now go look up the link at Prairie Home Companion. It’s posted on
my Facebook page. And have yourself a fine day.
