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Del McCoury Band
It's Just the Night
(McCoury Music/Sugar Hill)
First Appeared at The Music Box, September 2003, Volume 10, #9
Written by John Metzger
Del McCoury has been performing within the bluegrass genre for over forty
years, but his most recent ensemble — which features bass player Mike Bub,
fiddler Jason Carter, mandolinist Ronnie McCoury, and banjo picker Rob McCoury —
is arguably the best group that he has ever fronted, including his brief stint
with Bill Monroe in 1963. Without question, the Del McCoury Band has been virtually unstoppable over
the course of its decade long career, and though its latest offering It’s
Just the Night doesn’t match the graceful, easy-going flow of its pinnacle
Del & the Boys, it’s safe to say that when all is said and done, it will
prove to be the best bluegrass album released this year.
As with its previous efforts, the Del McCoury Band continues to expand the
boundaries of bluegrass by culling material from an eclectic array of
songwriters, and It’s Just the Night showcases compositions by Delbert
McClinton, Don Reno, and Richard Thompson. Of course, this isn’t the first time
the group has drawn from Thompson’s catalog. Del & the Boys featured a
terrific cover of 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, and for this outing, the
band exquisitely delivers Dry My Tears and Move On and Two-Faced Love,
which bookend the album. Elsewhere, the ensemble blazes its way through the
Ronnie McCoury-penned instrumental Hillcrest Drive, offers a stirring
rendition of Ron Smith’s Let an Old Racehorse Run, and joins forces with
the Fairfield Four to turn the title track into something that is absolutely
magical.
Musically, It’s Just the Night is nothing short of amazing — no
surprise, there — as the musicians seamlessly shift from rhythm to lead and back
again as if locked within a spiritual, cosmic dance while angelic harmonies
flutter around Del McCoury’s lofty, golden tenor. The intensity and utter
perfection of the album does slack off just a tad during the collection’s latter
half. But that’s like complaining that this year’s fine wine isn’t quite as good
as last year’s vintage. The bottom line is that it’s still fine wine, so drink
up and enjoy. 
Of Further Interest...
Great American Taxi - Great American Taxi / self-titled
Earl Scruggs - The Essential Earl Scruggs / Classic Bluegrass Live
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby - Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby / self-titled
It's Just the Night is available
from Amazon. To order, Click Here!
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2003
The Music Box
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