Six Degrees Of Separation
Pinecastle, 2021
8/10
Listen to Six Degrees Of Separation
An all star ensemble spearheaded by Steve Wilson, who brings his esteemed skills as a recording engineer and custom banjo builder to this very well crafted effort, Six Degrees Of Separation also hosts names like Joey Newton, Michael Cleveland, Shawn Lane and Clay Hess to name a few.
“When The Crow Comes Down” starts the listen with banjo acrobatics from Wilson and Richard Bennett’s proficient guitar alongside Sarah Logan’s warm, harmonic singing in the agile bluegrass opener that gets a bit haunting, and “Midnight On The Highway” follows with flowing mandolin thanks to Alan Bibey, as Logan’s soaring pipes guide the melodic rural rocker.
Approaching the middle, “Colors Of My Life” enters ballad territory with sublime singing as Michael Branch’s skilled bass and Wilson’s banjo make an impression, while “Just A Few More Miles” recruits Dale Ann Bradley on harmony vocals and Dale Perry on banjo/harmony for the album’s best track. “Autumn Leaves”, another exceptional track, then displays Stephen Hudon’s fiddle prowess alongside Gena Britt’s banjo skills.
Near the end, “Wrong Turn That Led Me To You” places Colton Rudd on lead vocals as Glen Crain’s reso guitar helps cultivate a very lush atmosphere, and a pair of versions of “Long Hard Day” exit the listen, and both showcase Adam Plott’s drums amid Tony Wray’s banjo and Wilson’s harmony vocals that are both rugged and highly tuneful.
A listen that embraces all the hallmarks of bluegrass that we will never tire of, Six Degrees Of Separation presents an edgier side of the band than we’re used to, and the caliber of artists on hand make it their best to date, too.
Travels well with: The Farm Hands- 4.0; Merle Monroe- Songs Of A Simple Life