Ralph Stanley
, both with his brother
Carter
in the
Stanley Brothers
and as a solo artist, is perhaps the most respected surviving member of
bluegrass
' first generation of performers. Indeed, he has few peers within
, and his latest revival as a member of the
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
cast is just a reminder of a long string of fine recordings that date back to the 1940s.
Mountain Preacher's Child
collects material recorded with
the Clinch Mountain Boys
between 1979 and 1985 (with one exception), and as the title reveals, centers on religious material. The other focal point for this collection is
Stanley
's band, which featured singer
Charlie Sizemore
, lead guitarist
Junior Blankenship
, fiddler
Curley Ray Cline
, and bassist
Jack Cooke
during these years.
and
Sizemore
's vocals create a lovely blend on cuts like
"Troublesome Waters,"
Cooke
adds a third voice to the vocal blend on selections like
"The God That Never Fails."
The odd-song out on
is a 1975 recording of
"Looking for a Stone"
with lead singer
Keith Whitley
. At around 36 minutes,
is short, but it nonetheless serves as a solid introduction to a great band at the top of its game. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.