John Prine Mac Wiseman Standard Songs For Average People

With the recent Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and Ray Price collaboration, it seems to be the time for seasoned songs and singers. But classic songs and voices are always in season. Folk legend John Prine and long celebrated bluegrass player Mac Wiseman’s partnership offers just that. Standard Songs for Average People features gems by Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, Cindy Walker, Kris Kristofferson and more. Having set the "standard,” there are no inherently weak songs on this album, and the pair’s treatment only bolsters the permanence of the music. Each song is treated to Prine’s stone-ground and Wiseman’s heartfelt vocals, which despite their distinct characters intermingle indistinguishably, at times. However, the diverse handling of each benefits the conversational qualities of Tom T. Hall’s "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine,” a rendition as good if not better than any out there. And on gospel favourites "In the Garden” and "Old Rugged Cross,” the stirring union of tiredness and tenderness in the voices of the two legendary singers infuse the familiar with renewed spirituality. Here it is, the wisdom of the elders you’ve been missing. Don’t let it pass you by again.