Description
If you've never heard Mark Johnson's clawgrass-style of banjo playing, this project's opening cut "Cold Creek March" is the perfect place to start. Using what can most closely be described as a mix of clawhammer and Scruggs-style, Johnson's nimble right hand gently but insistently edges the rhythm forth, while his left hand chooses each unexpectedly perfect note. Twelve more tracks feature Johnson's unique craftsmanship, and Emory Lester makes it a true duet album by handling all four solo vocals and all of the mandolin, guitar, and bass parts. Lester also plays viola on the lovely Celtic-tinged "Denbrae," on which he also performs vocals. A brisk take on Bob Dylan's "Girl From The North Country," the wistful "Ashfields & Brine," and the nostalgic "Timberline" are the other vocal tracks that nicely complement the nine tunes that feature only the fluent instrumental exchange between these two musicians. Whether on guitar ("John Wilkes Booth" and "Big Sciota") or mandolin ("Cold Frosty Morning," "Katie Weeks," and "Wagonline"), Lester's clean, spry breaks mesh flawlessly with Johnson's banjo. On "Down To The River To Pray" and "Eileen O'Neill," Johnson comes through with some of the most beautiful solo playing you'll hear on any instrument this year. Though a nimble "Monroe's Hornpipe" is the closest they get to bluegrass, Johnson and Lester have made one of the most satisfying acoustic records of the year. (Mountain Home Records, P.O. Box 829, Arden, NC 28704, www...