James Alan Shelton - Guitar Tracks

(Copper Creek CCCD-0178) 1999

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This was James' second instrumental album for Copper Creek, which was recorded at Maggard Studio in Big Stone Gap, Va. and released in 1999.

The CD opens with the standard fiddle tune Sugarfoot Rag, which suprisingly hasn't been recorded (as far as I know) by the Stanley's or CMB's other than on Curly Ray's The Deputy. Several of the tracks will be familiar to Stanley fans, though it's still nice to hear James' treatments of tracks like Snow Deer, Tragic Romance and Ralph's favourite - Cannonball Blues. The album also includes two originals by James: the haunting (groan) The Ghost Train and Road Weary Blues which also has fine breaks by James Price / Steve Sparkman.

As one would expect many tracks are dominated by the guitar, but James Price / Steve Sparkman and Adam Steffey provide some variety to proceedings, with a lively rendition of I'll Fly Away, Lost Indian and Sugarfoot Rag sounding particularly fine.

Original copies now seem very hard to find, but fortunately James reissued it along with Road To Coeburn on CD-R in 2012 as The Copper Creek Sessions, and this is a little easier to get hold of.

• James Alan Shelton: lead guitar
• Barry Bales: bass
• James Price: fiddle
• Steve Sparkman: banjo
• Ralph II Stanley: guitar
• Adam Steffey: mandolin

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