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TONY WILLIAMSON & THE WILLIAMSON BROTHERS BAND:Still Light Of The Evening |
One of the Chicago Tribunes Top 10 Bluegrass CDs of 2001. They say Look no further for a lesson on precisely what makes brother duets so unique. The two menTony and Garysing as one while maintaining their own individual sounds, and make it seem easy. Brother Tony also is among the finest mandolinists alive, and the instrumental passages, featuring an excellent band assembled for this session, dazzle without ever lapsing into flashiness. A bluegrass-loving friend of mine hooked me up with this North Carolina mandolin legend. The moment the brothers leaned into the mike, I understood why theyve been winning national awards for 40 years. Their all-star banjo-fiddle-guitar-bass band includes multiple Grammy winners, two world bluegrass champions and a Bluegrass Hall of Honor member. Because this bands spent decades honing a perfect acoustic blend without electronics, the sound came out so good even I am knocked out. (#08952) Tony
Williamson, mandolin and vocals |
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REVIEWS: Chicago Tribune: Look no further than the Williams Brothers for a lesson on precisely what makes brother duets so unique. The two men--Tony and Gary--sing as one while maintaining their own individual sounds, and make it seem easy. Brother Tony also is among the finest mandolinists alive, and the instrumental passages, featuring an excellent band assembled for this session, dazzle without ever lapsing into flashiness. This is great music hiding behind genuine humility. December 9, 2001 Raleigh News & Observer : Often we rely upon the national media to define our standards when excellence can be found in our own back yard. Siler City's Tony Williamson is a world-renowned mandolin player, bluegrass musician and band leader whose admirers include Ralph Stanley, Doc Watson and Sam Bush. The 15-track CD consists of original and traditional tunes and songs constructed around the Southern dialectic of loss and redemption. Most of the original songs were written by Tony Williamson. The measure of an artist is reflected in the musicians he associates with, and Williamson has assembled some of the best. Gary handles most of the lead vocals and rhythm guitar. John Hartford Stringband alumnus Larry Perkins (a Kannapolis native) picks banjo and guitar. Don Wright (banjo and guitar), Rex McGee (fiddle and lead guitar) and former Seldom Scene bassist Tom Gray round out the vereran band. The CD was recorded in a small private studio in Maryland, using two-track analog tape with the musicians gathered in a simi-circle around an arrangement of microphones. The technology and recording technique result in a warmth and spontaneity seldom achieved in more high-tech studios. The live sound is just one of the special qualities of this alluring CD, which whets the appetite for hearing Tony Williamson and company live on the concert trail. Bluegrass Breakdown: Now you've up and done it -- a killer project
of absolutely wonderful old-timers and old-timey flavored tunes
done just the way they ought to be done -- with soaring harmonies
as only brothers can sing and just the right instrumentation.
This music really harkens back to those halcyon days of yore
when life was simpler and the music was infused with heartfelt
sentimentality and passion. I thoroughly enjoyed every cut --
if I had to pick favorites I'd probably go with the title track,
"White Angels In the Clouds," "If I Could Melt
A Mountain Top," "Boatman," "City On the
Hill" and "Angeline the Baker." This is a fabulous
recording that should please old timey enthusiasts, ultra-traditional
bluegrassers and ... well .... everybody! Congratulations! |