J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, and Paul Williams had all worked for bluegrass legend Jimmy Martin. That shared history gave them a great idea for a bluegrass gospel CD: Why not get together to record a CD of gospel tunes that each had performed with Martin?
Old Friends Get Together, released in June of 2010, is the happy result, and even with all that star power, everyone has some great moments in the spotlight.
"This World is Not My Home" is a tasty duet between Doyle Lawson on lead and Paul Williams on tenor, while Williams turns in a soulful lead vocal on "When the Savior Reached Down for Me."
Two of the CD's best tracks are "Lord, I'm Coming Home" and "Shake Hands With Mother Again". "Shake Hands" is especially tight with gutsy, high lonesome harmonies, and a lead vocal by Doyle Lawson that's pure soul.
Jimmy Martin fans will love the vocal arrangements, which stick closely to those of the original recordings, which often featured women on tenor vocals (Both Penny Jay and Gloria Belle, who also played bass for Martin, filled this vocal spot). Sonya Isaacs and Cia Cherryholmes contribute distinctive high harmonies.
Although the emphasis is on the vocals, J.D. Crowe's picking shines, especially on "Voice of My Savior" and "The Little White Church".
The combination of mountain soul with high lonesome vocals and polished Nashville-style arrangements is pure Jimmy Martin, but the record never sounds like a museum piece. Clearly, this CD was made by a top-notch group of musicians who gave their all and had a great time doing it.
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