What a gem of a record for fans of "early" Bluegrass! This is tough, mountain style Bluegrass by one of the finest bands of its time --the 1960s. Recorded at a few different sessions by Charlie Faurot, only a few of these wonderful tracks have been on CD before. The 18-track disc features not only the banjo work of Lundy (one of the finest pickers of the time), but some fine fiddling by Sonny Miller, Jerry Lundy, and Joe Edd King, and vocals by Bob Paisley and Fred Hannah (who play guitar and mandolin respectively) (Sad to say, Lundy and most of the musicians here died well before their time). Five or six tracks feature the fine, lyrical fiddle of Sonny Miller --an underrated fiddler who played with Del McCoury, Alex Campbell & Ola Belle and others in the Delaware & eastern Pennsylvania area: his treatment of GREY EAGLE (a fiddle-banjo duet with Ted) is super, and his versions of KATY DID, BLACKBERRY BLOSSOM, and SALLY GOODIN show why this band was a perennial winner at the annual Galax Fiddlers' conventions. WELL RECOMMENDED!
Staff Review:
"Ted Lundy and the Southern Mountain Boys were one of the great bluegrass bands rooted in the traditions of the region around Galax, VA. In fact, I was at the Old Fiddlers’ Convention in Galax when this album was first handed to me by a friend who was eager to help me develop my appreciation of good bluegrass music. A longtime fan of old time string band music, it took me a little longer to find the kind of bluegrass that really spoke to me - Ted Lundy and the Southern Mountain Boys fit the bill perfectly. Growing up in the Galax area, Ted Lundy won the prestigious banjo contest at the Old Fiddlers’ Convention a number of times before assembling one of the most powerful and driving bluegrass bands in the region. I love the energy of this band and how they successfully blend traditional music of the region with the more contemporary influences of 1960s bluegrass to create a truly original style of mountain bluegrass. Some of my very favorite cuts on this album are Grey Eagle, Dark Hollow, Prison Walls of Love, I’ve Never Been So Lonesome, Poor Ellen Smith, Garden in the Sky, and Won’t You Think of Me. With 18 tracks and a nice variety of old time fiddle breakdowns, bluegrass songs, and a few tasteful originals, there is something in this album for fans of traditional old time music as well as lovers of hardcore traditional bluegrass. I highly recommend giving Ted Lundy and the Southern Mountain Boys a spin or two - you won’t regret it!" - Andrew
