Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe / County CD-2708

Description

County CD 2708 / In a long and distinguished career, Kenny Baker made 12 consistently good albums for the County label: this gem is as good as any of them. Baker showed up at a Nashville studio with a group of top Bluegrass musicians (Joe Stuart, Randy Davis, and banjo pickers Bob Black and Vic Jordan), plus a couple of new tunes from the master, Bill Monroe, who encouraged Baker to record them. Though Kenny had asked Monroe to join them for the session, Bill was non-commital and even Baker felt that there was a less than 50/50 chance that Monroe would stop by to offer some advice and give his approval. Bill not only showed up, but brought his mandolin and picked enthusiastically on every tune, taking breaks on most of them. His energy inspired everyone present, and Baker ended up with one of his finest albums. The album marked the first recording of Monroe’s now classic ROAD TO COLUMBUS, along with two other new pieces, MISSISSIPPI WALTZ and FIDDLER’S PASTIME, plus a dynamite version of JERUSALEM RIDGE, a piece that Monroe played often but that was not issued on any Monroe album at the time. A wonderful fiddle album that should be in the collection of every Bluegrass fiddle fan and every fan of Bill Monroe & his music