Larry Sparks - Silver Reflections

(Rebel REB-1654) 1988. Also issued on CD (REB CD-1654) 1991.

---

This is an excellent album which was tagged as celebrating Larry's 25th anniversary of his contribution to bluegrass music.

I'm not entirely sure whether the LP was issued in 1987 or 1988, but the latter is more likely. It was, I think Larry's last to released on vinyl for some time, with the CD version issued in 1991 now being much more common.

The songs chosen for the album include several which would quickly become fan favourites, with Tennessee 1949, I'd Like To Be A Train and Blue Virginia Blues all written by Pete Goble & Leroy Drumm; the haunting Don't Neglect The Rose by Emma Smith; and a fine version of Charlie Moore's Kentucky Girl.

Other tracks include the full-throttle instrumental Richmond, co-written by Larry and Scott Vestal; the laid-back Natural Thing To Do by Pete Goble & Leroy Drumm; Jackie Kincaid's Old Faded Picture; and the Monroe-esque instrumental Cruisin' Timber written by David Harvey & his father Dorsey.

Augmenting the newly written material are versions of Flatt & Scruggs' Please Don't Wake Me, the Carter Family's You're The Girl Of My Dreams (aka Lover's Lane) and Ernest Tubb's I Wonder Why You Said Goodbye.

The album was recorded over three sessions in 1986/7 at Chandler Audio, Ashland, Kentucky. The CD credits suggest that the 'Lonesome Ramblers' line-up may have changed during the course of the sessions, with CMB Art Stamper playing fiddle on all but three tracks.

Larry later re-recorded Don't Neglect The Rose on It's Just Me (2023).

• Larry Sparks: guitar
• Barry Crabtree: banjo
• Glen Duncan: fiddle (d)
• David Harvey: mandolin / fiddle (a)
• Randy Jones: mandolin (b)
• Tim Sargent: dobro
• Larry D. Sparks: bass
• Art Stamper: fiddle (c)

NB: (a) except A3, A6, B1, B3, B6; (b) A3, A6, B1, B3; (c) except B2, B5, B6; (d) B2, B5.

Other artwork / related images: