Name: One Morning in May
Brand: Rounder Select
SKU: 17511
Price: 30 GBP
Availability: InStock

One Morning in May

Rating

Album: One Morning in May
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Comin' on Strong
2)	What Can I Do
3)	Live and Let Live
4)	Come Walk with Me
5)	Do You Live What You Preach
6)	I Never Will Marry - (previously unreleased)
7)	Where the Old Red River Flows
8)	Trials, Troubles, Tribulations - (previously unreleased)
9)	I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
10)	One Morning in May
11)	Dark Hollow
12)	Ginger Brandy
13)	My Brother's Will
14)	Sparkling Brown Eyes
15)	Little Paper Boy, The
16)	You'll Be Rewarded over There - (previously unreleased)

Album: One Morning in May
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Comin' on Strong
2)	What Can I Do
3)	Live and Let Live
4)	Come Walk with Me
5)	Do You Live What You Preach
6)	I Never Will Marry - (previously unreleased)
7)	Where the Old Red River Flows
8)	Trials, Troubles, Tribulations - (previously unreleased)
9)	I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
10)	One Morning in May
11)	Dark Hollow
12)	Ginger Brandy
13)	My Brother's Will
14)	Sparkling Brown Eyes
15)	Little Paper Boy, The
16)	You'll Be Rewarded over There - (previously unreleased)

Performer Notes

& The New England Bluegrass Boys.
Personnel: Joe Val (vocals, mandolin); Herb Applin (vocals, guitar); Bob French (vocals, banjo).
Liner Note Author: Peter K. Siegel.
Recording information: 03/1971-05/1991.
One Morning in May dates from the early days of the New England Bluegrass Boys, when Joe Val's razor-sharp tenor voice was matched almost eerily by that of guitarist Herb Applin; though you can argue that later lead singers (in particular the mighty Dave Dillon) complemented him better, there was an undeniable power in the classic high, lonesome sound that Applin and Val generated together. "One Morning in May" was recorded in 1971, when Val's voice was at its peak strength -- bluegrass standards like "Sparkling Brown Eyes" and "Dark Hollow" are perfect showcases for the power and range of that spectacular voice. The program also includes a few fine gospel numbers, a decent Val-penned instrumental, and the requisite tear-jerking, poor-child-dying-in-the-snow song ("The Little Paper Boy"). It's too bad Val's and Applin's voices weren't recorded a bit more cleanly, but the band sounds great -- Bob French was one of the best meat-and-potatoes banjo players around, and Herb Applin's guitar playing is unassuming but solid. Val himself, staunch traditionalist though he was, had an endearing tendency to get a bit too bouncy and syncopated with the mandolin backbeats, but this edition of the New England Bluegrass Boys was as solid as any that followed. Here's hoping the rest of Val's back catalog finds its way onto CD, the sooner the better. ~ Rick Anderson