The Kentucky Colonels are heard at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival on this Vanguard CD. A quartet at the time, as fiddler Scotty Stoneman had not yet joined the band, their performances include both instrumentals and vocals, with bassist
Roger Bush also serving as the MC. Guitarist
Clarence White, mandolinist
Roland White, banjo player
Billy Ray Latham, and bassist
Roger Bush seem effortless as they delve into bluegrass favorites like "Shuckin' the Corn," "Sally Ann," and "Shady Grove," though there are a few surprises in store.
Doc Watson joins
Clarence White for six intricate guitar duets (including
White's arrangement of "Soldier's Joy" and
Watson's chart of "Lonesome Road Blues"). Several of the numbers near the end of the CD actually feature the Kentucky Colonels backing banjo master
Bill Keith, who later joined
Clarence White in the short-lived group
Muleskinner. While there are a few spots where the sound is a tad overmodulated, this vintage live music will be of great interest to serious bluegrass fans. ~ Ken Dryden