Riley Baugus – Long Steel Rail
Although Riley Baugus banjo playing and fiddling have been his primary calling card as a musician, his singing is the star on Long Steel Rail. Baugus voice could just as well be coming out of a man plowing his garden in 1806 rather than this 40-year-old accomplished picker. Baugus delivers most of these songs solo, with only occasional guest spots by co-producers Tim OBrien and Dirk Powell. All but one are traditional tunes as old as Baugus sound. He expose the timeless lyricism of not-often-covered gems such as June Apple, Old John Henry, Im Troubled, No Corn On Tygart. The one comparatively modern song is Jean Ritchies Now Is the Cool Of The Day, an environmental and spiritual 60s classic. A field recording that preserves and protects, Long Steel Rail carries an abiding dignity rarely found in modern media.