Some things in music are undeniable. One of those is that Dr. Ralph Stanely was vital in the creation and development of bluegrass music. He's released over 200 projects. There would be a big, empty hole in music if there was no Ralph Stanely.

His most recent release is simply titled "Ralph Stanely" and it follows on the coat tail of the booming success of "O Brother Where Art Thou." He roped T Bone Burnett, mastermind behind "O Brother...", to produce it for him. In addition, Norman Blake (amoung others) play on the cd.

The cd opens with the lovely picking of a stringed instrument. The melodly feels like it's leading your for a walk in the garden. Despite the roughness of Stanley's voice, the song doesn't lose that general impression. In fact, the rest of the cd chugs on with that first impression, for the most part. The main songs that stands out from that is the vocal-only "Twelve Gates To The City" and "I'll Remember You Love In My Prayers." They sounds a lot like "O Death" from "O Brother..." which distracts from the cd.

As expected, there are a lot of very fine tunes here. They follow the folky/bluegrass sound, with the exception of "Twelve Gates..." and "I'll Remember You..." The production is top notch. Burnett has an ability to make sure everything sounds right, without polishing too much. Bluegrass has to have that rough edge or it just becomes another country cd.

If there was justice in the world, this cd would have become one of the most talked about cds of 2002. However, the people who did pick it up got a treasure that should make them happy for years to come. Recomended for anyone who likes bluegrass or who loved the "O Brother..." soundtrack.

peace.