Blue Highway

Experience in bluegrass music is immediately audible. In the case of Blue Highway, it’s been their calling card since the five-piece first formed in ’94, veterans all. Having served tours of duty with the likes of Ricky Skaggs, Doyle Lawson and Alison Krauss, they’ve honed their craft over the past 14 years to become a veritable super-group of players’ players. At the same time, they’ve accomplished what few bluegrass bands have: advance beyond the confines of traditional bluegrass to develop a distinctive band sound with a personality all their own, free to concentrate on their award-winning compositions. With Rob Ickes’ jaw-dropping dobro work and Jason Burleson’s banjo teaming with the songwriting strengths of singer/multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lane, guitarist Tim Stafford and bassist Wayne Taylor, it’s little wonder their mantles teem with awards. All originals, Train’s 12 tracks tackle hard-hitting observations on real life, such as Taylor’s tale of a war veteran’s sorry state after giving his country his all on "Homeless Man” or the equally anti-war "Two Soldiers,” while Lane’s infectious "V-Bottom Boat” offers a modern twist on gospel, featuring four-part vocals. The blinding speed of Lane’s Civil War-era "Sycamore Hollow,” featuring his Scheerhorn slide guitar, reminds the listener that it’s all about the music. The all-instrumental "The North Cove” leaves no question as to their pedigree.