...this blog captures in order the albums as I pull these gems off the shelf and groove to them .....

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Dillard Hartford Dillard - Glitter Grass From The Nashwood Hollyville Strings (1977)

Dillard Hartford Dillard - Glitter Grass From The Nashwood Hollyville Strings 

 Bluegrass wizards Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard are teamed  up with hipster singer singwriter John Hartford who released this gem of an album in 1977.  It is definitely an un-likely pairing but the album carries a bluegrass, harmonically folky album with a tad of psychedelia in there.  

  A few songs are clearly more in the Hartford camp while the majority are 100% Dillard bluegrass toe stomping jigs and country ballads.  

  Banjos, mandolins, guitars, dobros, violins, steel guitars, harmonicas, bass, piano and tons of harmonies is exactly what you get.   The collection of songs on this album are also excellent with a nice range of ballads,  jigs and contemporary country folk.  

Other musical contributors include Buddy Emmons (vocals, steel guitar, dobro); Michael Melford (vocals, mandolin); Pepper Watkins, Ginger Blake, Linda Dillard, Laura Creamer, Benny Martin (vocals); Jim Colvard, Amos Garrett (guitar); Sam Bush (mandolin); Jeff Gilkinson (cello, harmonica); Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano, keyboards) and Kenny Malone (drums, percussion).  

  The albums encompass a wide variety of material, from sweet, weepy, straight country ballads, and funky Byrds-like country rock, to protest songs and a hilarious bluegrass-style cover of Stevie Wonder's "Boogie On Reggae Woman." Overall, the albums have an appealingly loose, jammy feeling, sidesteping the over-earnest drippiness that plagues some '70s country-rock. 

The assembled cast of all-star sidemen includes top-notch bluegrass mandolinist Sam Bush, Nashville steel guitar/dobro legend, Buddy Emmons, Canadian guitar-hero, Amos Garrett, and others. 

Dillard, Hartford & Dillard are to be listened to and It wont take long before you will be hooked on them!  

Get this album ,

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