Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass

Like horseracing, there’s no denying that the world’s greatest bluegrass comes from those demonstrating the strongest bloodlines. Southern Grass stems from three such families. Danny Paisley grew up surrounded by people who held music dear, making it an integral and essential component of the rural community. His North Carolinian father, Bob, and neighbour Ted Lundy formed the Southern Mountain Boys in ’64. Eventually joined by mandolinist Don Eldreth Sr., they went on to relative fame before disbanding. Bob formed Southern Grass in ’79 with sons Danny and (eventually) Michael (bass), Bob (banjo) and TJ Lundy (fiddle) and Donnie Eldreth Jr. on mandolin. When Danny’s dad Bob passed away in the winter of ’04, Danny’s first instinct was to leave the stage to escape the loss of playing without the man he’d played alongside for 32 years. His band-mates convinced him otherwise and the hurt you hear in Danny’s vocals can only be seen as the gift his father gave him. This collision of old-time fiddle sounds merged with backwoods mountain blues is more than something you read about. It’s something you hear in Danny’s deep, bluesy vocal, and in their hard-driving brand of bluegrass. From the uplifting pace of "I’m Leaving Detroit” to the hurt found in "Another Bridge to Burn” through to bracing instrumentals like "Sweet Potato Rag” and "Backstep Sally Ann,” this is today’s bluegrass built on the back of a true legacy.