  Miner's Child A Fool Such As I Mountains and Memories (Ghost) Riders in the Sky Appalachia 1975 One Tin Soldier How Great Thou Art Teach Your Children Misty Mountain Rain God's Coloring Book Sea of Heartbreak The Eddie Swing You Can't Go Home (Charlie's Lament) Legend of the Dogwood Tree If ever there was a modern bluegrass band worthy of note as both a leader in innovation and a transmitter of tradition, it would be the Country Gentlemen. They naturally and seamlessly fused those two paths, doing so with a contagious enthusiasm and high-level musical excellence that greatly increased the size and spectrum of the bluegrass fan base and inspired countless musicians' hearts and minds to stretch. Without a doubt, the Gents impacted the entire bluegrass genre while catching the ears of folk, country, rock'n'roll and pop fans too. ...And if ever there was any single bluegrass band today with the most respect for that iconic group's sound, it would be the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band, who are carrying on that tradition in the same spirit of high standards and expansive inclusiveness. For some years now the Tribute Band have devoted their outstanding talents to maintaining and enlivening the legacy of the Country Gentlemen, with an emphasis on the lead-vocal style of the late Charlie Waller. The impact of the Gents sound through the years is still pervasive in bluegrass music, yet no single group except the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band has so devoted itself to pursuing the continuation of that heritage. Even so, the Tribute Band also sources songs never performed or recorded by the Gents, and they have comfortably managed to sync it all into a compatible whole; it's clear that these other songs they have chosen for this project are an excellent fit with the mid-period Gents songs included -- a worthy accomplishment indeed. There's no doubt that the many fans of the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band are trusting that they will long continue their fine musical work, since audiences are certain to be clamoring for much, much more. ~Martha & Eddie Adcock Long live the Country Gentlemen Tribute Band!! They keep alive the music of the late Charlie Waller and the Country Gentlemen. Not just the many songs made famous by that group, but the musical style of the group: not quite traditional bluegrass, not quite newgrass, but a contemporary blending of influences, played and sung with skill and an attitude. That attitude is on display here on this CD, where they add their own choice of material within the style of the Gents. I was privileged to be part of the first “Classic” configuration of the Country Gentlemen in the 1960s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we changed the genre. The influence of pioneer Gents John Duffey, Charlie Waller, Eddie Adcock, Bill Emerson, Doyle Lawson, Bill Yates, Jimmy Gaudreau and more shines through in everything this Tribute Band does, whether live on stage or on recordings such as this. ~Tom Gray |
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