JD Crowe & The New South - Lefty's Old Guitar

In this week's episode we're featuring the first album in seven years for JD Crowe & The New South: "Lefty's Old Guitar" (2006). Never one to be rushed into releasing new material, banjo institution JD Crowe worked more than six years of road and bluegrass festival dates with the nucleus of The New South's line up in perfecting this album. Rickey Wasson is superb on lead vocals for the first time in his tenure with Crowe and Dwight McCall on mandolin and occasional lead offers fine accompaniment. Pioneering since his days with Jimmy Martin's Sunny Mountain Boys, Crowe again brought in Steel Guitar Hall Of Famer Doug Jernigan on several tracks on "Lefty's Old Guitar" (including the title track) and the album's classic country overtones are deliciously plain to hear. A wistful cover of Max D. Barnes' "In My Next Life" (also recorded by Merle Haggard) is the jewel in the crown of this fine collection; a cut from hard country gem Wayne Kemp is an excellent addition in "She Knows When You're On My Mind Again" and a romping cover from fellow Kentucky banjo legend Red Spurlock on "Loneliness" is only a taste of some of JD Crowe & The New South's finest work since the 70s.