Search - Don Reno :: Golden Guitar of Don Reno

"Lost" performances improved with new instrumentation.

03/15/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Don Reno, in my viewpoint, was the best bluegrass banjo player to emerge from first generation/traditional bluegrass. His performances and recordings especially with partner Red Smiley, and to a lesser extent his material with later partner Bill Harrell, exhibit great musical talent and stylism. I find Don Reno's banjo style more interesting than either Earl Scruggs or Ralph Stanley, but the man is often unfortunately overlooked by reviewers and writers. His talent as a guitarist is, incredibly, equally impressive. This CD, released in 1999, contains guitar instrumental recordings made by Don Reno at an unnamed date in November 1972, with band member and expert fiddler Buck Ryan in support, and Bill Harrell on guitar as well (although it's impossible to distinguish his guitar in the mix). The original recordings have never been previously released, and Don's three sons have overdubbed additional guitar, bass and mandolin. Unlike a lot of overdubbed recordings, the Reno brothers manage to support and strengthen the original recording of their father and fellow band members in a way that has significantly improved the original material, and without their overdubs being the least bit intrusive. I find that remarkable, as too often when projects such as this are undertaken, the tendency to overproduce and heap too many instruments into the mix becomes too much to resist. I don't feel Don Reno is in top form here, his earlier guitar (and banjo) performances being more impressive. But he still really performs quite well. The CD contains 15 songs and a little over 35 minutes of music. Approximately half of the songs could be described as "break-neck instrumentals," and although I've been a traditional bluegrass fan for decades, one or two of these fast-paced performances on a CD or in a show is enough, and more than that becomes annoying. The great songs here are the slower ones, including "Italian Waltz", "Rocking Alone", and "Ranger's Waltz". The CD is entirely instrumental, although there are a few seconds of Don speaking just before the final song. He had a fine bluegrass solo singing voice too, and that's missed here. Also missed is a lack of any known composer credits of the songs on the CD; even if they would all be noted "traditional", that would have been appropriate. And identifying the specific song titles included in the medleys would be good."