18 years ago Sugar Hill released the incredible album “Church Street Blues” by Tony Rice.
The album concept is simple, Tony, shows his virtuosity by stripping all his music down to his 2 musical sources, guitar and voice or guitar and guitar. No fluff, no extra production, nothing but the man and his instrument. He plays all traditional songs with a few Bluegrass instrumentals thrown in. Though simple in its design, the simplicity really lets the listener fully appreciate the capabilities Tony has to offer. He continues his musical flexing by playing a nice wide variety from the Americana catalog. Sweet songs like “Streets of London”, to instrumentals like “Jerusalem Ridge”, or a ballad like “Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald”. All the songs have a strain of connectivity as they the instrumentation is similar, but are different from one another keeping you very interested in what comes next. Now an album of just guitar and vocal is no new concept, it’s something you can find in almost any small restaurant or coffee shop on a Friday night with some weekend warrior playing a nice spread of Jim Croce and Dave Matthews songs. What makes this album different is the how though it’s just these two simple musical sources, they are played so well it seems n lacking in nothing. The Guitar is precise with an energy only the best of flat top players can get, all while accompanying Tony’s rich baritone vocals. It is an inspirational album to any musician, bluegrass or not.
Buy HERE
The album concept is simple, Tony, shows his virtuosity by stripping all his music down to his 2 musical sources, guitar and voice or guitar and guitar. No fluff, no extra production, nothing but the man and his instrument. He plays all traditional songs with a few Bluegrass instrumentals thrown in. Though simple in its design, the simplicity really lets the listener fully appreciate the capabilities Tony has to offer. He continues his musical flexing by playing a nice wide variety from the Americana catalog. Sweet songs like “Streets of London”, to instrumentals like “Jerusalem Ridge”, or a ballad like “Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald”. All the songs have a strain of connectivity as they the instrumentation is similar, but are different from one another keeping you very interested in what comes next. Now an album of just guitar and vocal is no new concept, it’s something you can find in almost any small restaurant or coffee shop on a Friday night with some weekend warrior playing a nice spread of Jim Croce and Dave Matthews songs. What makes this album different is the how though it’s just these two simple musical sources, they are played so well it seems n lacking in nothing. The Guitar is precise with an energy only the best of flat top players can get, all while accompanying Tony’s rich baritone vocals. It is an inspirational album to any musician, bluegrass or not.
Buy HERE
"Church Street Blues" is one of my desert island discs. Still listen to it often; still blows me away.
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