If placing two great fiddlers like
Kenny Baker and
Bobby Hicks together sounds like a great idea, that's because it is.
Darkness on the Delta isn't just a fiddle fest, however.
Hicks and
Baker are joined by banjoist
Allen Shelton, mandolinists Larry Sledge and
Buck White, guitarist
Benny Williams, and bassist
Roy Husky Jr. on 11 country-bluegrass classics. The presence of a band provides a nice underpinning for the fiddles, but also gives the songs weight and substance. While there are plenty of fine solos on the title cut and "Faded Love,"
Hicks and
Baker's specialty is playing in unison, which creates a lovely, flowing sound that harks back to Western swing. This approach works particularly well on waltzes -- "McHattie's Waltz" and "Westphalia Waltz" -- and classics like
Bill Monroe's sprightly "Tallahassee" and exciting "Louisville Breakdown." Since this is a pure instrumental affair, there's plenty of time for solo work from the other players, too, but no one shows off. Instead, all of the music feels organic and falls together beautifully. Originally recorded in 1980,
Darkness on the Delta is rather short at 30 minutes, but everything included works exceptionally well and fiddle fans will be happy County reissued the album in 2004.