Step Back In Time
Pinecastle, 2020
8/10
A father and son collaboration, Jamie Dailey, who is probably best known for his work in Dailey & Vincent, works with his father, JB, as the pair birth a very memorable brand of bluegrass and gospel as they reinvent 13 classic tunes.
“Ashes Of Love” starts the listen with sublime picking in the highly melodic setting with strong vocal work, and this formula continues on to the subdued beauty of “White Oak On The Hill”, as well as the emotive “Will The Angels Play Their Harps For Me”.
Further along, “It Was Only The Wind” finds a dreamy place to reside with ballad like traces amid soaring vocal harmonies, while “Great Speckled Bird” offers an instrumental of dynamic, precise musicianship. “Behind These Prison Walls”, one of the album’s best, then highlights the incredible singing, and the restrained instrumentation is nothing to spit at, either.
“Lily Dale” and “Gloryland” bookend the listen, where the former relies heavily on strings in the vocal-less climate, and the latter exits the listen A cappella, where the gospel leanings shine bright and Darrin Vincent’s baritone pipes are especially noteworthy.
JB has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which affects both his playing and singing. However, the delivery here is flawless, as both father and son perform with much heart and sincerity, effectively making these covers their own.
Travels well with: Flashback- Blues Around My Cabin; Bradley & Adair- Oh Darlin