Bob Minner: From Sulphur Springs to Rising Fawn
Song List: Last Train From Poor Valley, Ginseng Sullivan, Widow’s Creek, Church Street Blues, On and On and On, Macon Rag, Green Light on the Southern, Lonesome Jenny, Hangin’ Dog, Ridge Road Travel, The Nameless Photograph, Slow Train Through Georgia, Year of the Locust, Randall Collins, Fiddler’s Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast.
Bob Minner grew up in a music loving family, and he started playing on a plastic guitar at age 2. He’s since learned to play banjo, fiddle, mandolin, bass, and dobro, but the acoustic guitar is his mainstay. He’s been the main guitarist for singer Tim McGraw for almost 30 years, and his Nashville homebase has given him connections to many of the top musicians in the area.
Guitarist and songwriter Norman Blake celebrated his 84th birthday this year, and this compilation of songs is also a celebration of a lifetime grounded in the traditional music of days gone by. Fans who remember Norman’s albums with Tony Rice will be pleased to hear these new renditions.
The clarity of the recording is outstanding, and the vintage guitars resonance and tone can be fully appreciated. Bob has included many of the top guitarists/vocalists and the spotlight shines brightly on Norman’s lyrics and stories of the small town loves and lives. Tim Stafford sings “Last Train From Poor Valley” and he gives the song a wistfulness that not only focuses on Betty but the loss of small town life. Norman’s hometown of Sulphur Springs is no longer a town, and Rising Fawn is also a small town bordering Alabama. Other well known songs and singers include Ron Block on “Ginseng Sullivan,” Vince Gill on “Church Street Blues,” and Dale Ann Bradley on “Lonesome Jenny.”
Bob plays a bluesy solo version of “Macon Rag,” and he ends the collection with a rendition of the traditional “Fiddler’s Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast” medley that is often associated with Norman Blake. It’s a fine collection of songs, a lasting tribute to Norman Blake, and a fine showcase for some of today’s better guitarists.