8/8/2019 Songwriter's Monthly Jan. '11, #132 - The Grascals

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More twang for your buck!

You’d think after being named“Bluegrass Band of the Year” bythe Society for the Preservationof Bluegrass Music in America

(SPBGMA) that The Grascalswould kick back for a bit and enjoythe ride. Maybe even take it downa notch and just coast along ont h e i r a l r e a d y i n c r e d i b l emomentum?

Not even close! This 6-member

ensemble had to kick it up in everyway imaginable and add even morehorsepower to their already super-charged engine with the release of an album jammed with jaw-dropping virtuosity, mind-blowing

spec ia l gues ts , and hear t -wrenching compassion. This crewdoesn’t do covers, they make neworiginals out of songs you’realready familiar with.

F o r i n s t a n c e , “ W h i t eLightning” (feat. Darryl Worley) is a

The Grascals & Friends:Country Classics with a Bluegrass Spin

8/8/2019 Songwriter's Monthly Jan. '11, #132 - The Grascals

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sco rch ing t rack tha t i s asrhythmically tight as the solos areinhumanly fast. No disrespectmeant, but by comparison, theoriginal now seems like it was onlythe demo for this fully realized

gem.

  “The Dev i l Went Down ToGeorgia” (feat. Charlie Daniels) hasbeen honed to an intense edge withan exhilaratingly urgent storytellingstyle that makes it feel as if theDevil’s challenge has just beenissued and Daniels, himself, has

been given a ringside seat todeliver the play-by-play to theworld as it happens! [Note: Thedelightful wink to bluegrass

players toward the end of the trackis priceless.]

  “Louisiana Saturday Night” . . Wow! This track is a whole lottafun. From the neighborly harmonies

of the opening a cappella chorus tothe crisp fiddle and easy-goingchug-a-lug picking, this song is onebig heartfelt invitation to “kick off your shoes” and “dance in thekitchen 'til the morning light.” 

There’s also “Mr. Bojangles” (feat.Joe Nichols), “Folsom Prison

Blues” (feat. Dierks Bently) and  “Tiger By The Tail” (feat. Brad

Paisley). However, despite the

8/8/2019 Songwriter's Monthly Jan. '11, #132 - The Grascals

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album’s title, not every song is arevisited “country classic.” “CrackerBarrel Swing” is an impressiveinstrumental spotlighting severalendearing Grascals traits in ones o n g . T h e

track featuresthe ar t i s t s ’  impressivelyt i g h tmusicianship,their ear for astrong, upbeatmelody, theirutter respect

for traditionalb l u e g r a s ss t y l e , a n dtheir ability toe f f o r t l e s s l yt r a de l i n e sbetween eachother like an u m b e r o f  

highly-skilled jugglers having acatch with numerous objects atonce. At the same time, the tracka l s o h i n t s a t t h e g r ou p ’ sprogressive nature with its strikingharmonic progression which propelsthe clever turnaround.

Despite al l that praise, the

highpoint of the album has noteven been mentioned, yet. “I AmStrong” is the powerfully movingoriginal that steals the show. JamieJohnson co-wrote the track with hiswife Susanne Mumpower-Johnsonand friend Jenee Fleenor after alife-changing experience at the St.

Jude Chi ldren’s ResearchHospital in Memphis, TN last year.In the liner notes Jamie states, “Iam more proud of this song than

any other work I have createdin my life.” 

As well heshould be.T h i s i ssongwriting w i t h apurpose, iti s s t r o n genough tochange your

life . . . if you let it.

T h eGrascals & F r i e n d s :C o u n t r yC l a s s i c sw i t h a

Bluegrass Spin is only available atCracker Barrel Old CountryStore & Restaurant*. You canstop in, have a great meal and pickup this incredible album or simplyorder it online.

For more information, visit:

www.grascals.comwww.crackerbarrel.com

*Because of The Grascals caringspirit, Cracker Barrel is donating a  percentage of the proceeds fromthe CD to St. Jude Children'sResearch Hospital.