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Atlanta's premiere bluegrass band, the Dappled Grays, has a new CD. The group has undergone some personnel changes since their debut in 1999. They've also done some growing and maturing. While their first CD, "In The Gait?" (2001), was a gem, it was semi-precious. The original compositions were stories told in the first person, related without the slightest shred of self-consciousness. Overall, the raw talent shone brilliantly through the rough edges of their youth and naivete, serving to enhance rather than hinder the intimate emotion of their music.
But now comes "Doin' My Job."? And the difference is dramatic. This effort is a polished jewel. The songs take a broader, more mature, third person look at the world. The track list includes both original compositions and renditions of songs by singer/songwriters Jonathan Byrd, Malcolm Holcomb and Gillian Welch. Byrd has been compared to Doc Watson. His contribution to the album is "Young Slaver."?
The Dappled Grays met Holcomb when he opened for them at The Loft in Columbus, GA. According to new fiddler and female lead vocalist Leah Calvert, the band was so moved by Holcomb’s powerful performance they were reluctant to follow him on stage. The title track is a Holcomb gospel number and one of three he supplied to the project. Gillian Welch’s “One More Dollar� is the only other tune that’s not a band original or traditional tune.
The most dramatic and obvious change in the sound of the Dappled Grays is the addition of Leah Calvert to the lineup. Calvert’s vocals add an entirely new dimension to the group. Her soulful rendition of Holcomb’s “Doin’ My Job� is a heart-touching profession of faith. On the final track, “Put You In My Pocket,� composed by Calvert and original band member Michael Smith (mandolin and lead vocals), she coos and vamps through the swing number like a seasoned big band crooner. The other original member of the Dappled Grays still on board is Casey Cook, who plays guitar and sings harmony. Keith Morris (bass, harmony vocals) and Greg Earnest (banjo) are the other new additions to the roster.
“Doin’ My Time� is a self-published project, which means you won’t find it in record stores. We recommend buying directly from www.dappledgraysmusic.com or better yet, at one of their live performances. They’ll be at Wolf Mountain Winery just north of Dahlonega every Sunday in April and at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur May 18th.
- 400 Edition
Discography
'Doin My Job' 2007
'In the Gait' 2004
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Bio
After the release in 2000 of their first album, In The Gait, The Dappled Grays were named Atlanta’s “best bluegrass band” by Creative Loafing Magazine, enthusiastically reviewed in Bluegrass Unlimited, and played on MTV. Now The Dappled Grays are back with new personnel and a whole new approach. Their latest CD, Doin’ My Job, combines straight-ahead bluegrass, progressive jazz, blues sensibilities, and top-flight songwriting into a startlingly fresh album with something to delight almost any listener.
Doin’ My Job features the powerhouse vocals of Leah Calvert and a supporting cast of instrumental heavyweights. Leah is an Atlanta native and fiddle player whose singing invites comparisons to bluegrass’ best female artists. (She also has a wide stylistic range that is on full display in the album’s final cut, “Put You In My Pocket,” a infectious swing number.) Album co-producer and mandolin player Michael Smith, who may best be known from his stint with country group Sugarland, provides high-flying solos, crystal-clear lead and harmony vocals, and genre-bending original compositions. Guitarist Casey Cook currently teaches in the bluegrass music program at Denison University in Ohio; his sophisticated lead and rhythm guitar techniques will be profiled in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine’s winter 2007 edition. On banjo, Greg Earnest – a fixture in Atlanta’s bluegrass scene and instructor in a popular series of tapes released by Banjo.com – contributes driving, Scruggs-style banjo breaks and thoughtful, understated backup. Rounding out the ensemble and anchoring the band’s rock-solid rhythm is bassist Keith Morris, who has lent his considerable talents in the past to such bluegrass luminaries as Claire Lynch and Alison Krauss.
Doin’ My Job also showcases the extraordinary talents of two North Carolina songwriters, Malcolm Holcombe and Jonathan Byrd. Holcombe’s songs (title cut “Doin’ My Job,” “Gone By The Ol’ Sunrise,” and “Only For You”) and Byrd’s (“Young Slaver”) add an emotional warmth and depth that are rarely encountered in strictly bluegrass settings. All of this is pulled together by industry legend Bill Wolf, who mixed and mastered the album, and whose other projects include recordings by Tony Rice, Emmylou Harris, and Doc Watson.
The Dappled Grays’ Doin’ My Job is a groundbreaking album by an energetic young band on the move. For more information about The Dappled Grays or a copy of the CD, please visit the band’s websites,
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