Search - Rock County :: Rock Solid

Rock County continues to bring down the bluegrass house!

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 08/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 33:27 -- From Kentucky and Tennessee, the band Rock County was formed in late 2001 by mandolinist Don Rigsby and fiddler Glen Duncan. Rigsby was formerly with the Lonesome River Band, Charlie Sizemore, Vern Gosdin, Bluegrass Cardinals, J.D. Crowe, and True Grass. In 2001, Rigsby left the Lonesome River Band to become Executive Director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music and to perform with Rock County. He also continues to perform with Longview. An Indiana native, Glen Duncan has fiddled with a host of impressive bluegrass and country stars from Bill Monroe and Jim & Jesse to Garth Brooks and Lyle Lovett.Other members of Rock County are Scott Vestal (banjo), Ray Craft (guitar) and Robin Smith. Vestal is originally from Oklahoma and has played with Larry Sparks, Southern Connection, Doyle Lawson, Livewire, Continental Divide, John Cowan. In 1996, he was a co-winner (with Sammy Shelor) of the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year Award. As a band, these five guys know how to cut the bluegrass mustard. Some may remember that Rock County's debut spent a full year on the Bluegrass Unlimited album chart, three of those months at number one. That brings us to their sophomore release, Rock Solid, and we're in for a bluegrass ride of our lives. The opener, Bill Monroe's "Mary Jane, Won't You Be Mine," sends a strong twin-fiddled message that these guys have a healthy respect for tradition. Ray Craft sings lead on five of the album's twelve offerings, and he demonstrates a particularly keen ability with reflective acoustic country music (Harley Allen and Stacey Earle's "For Years"). While Rock County uses various vocal arrangements, the one that sends a lonesome bluegrass chill up my spine is when Craft sings lead, with Duncan on tenor and Risgby grabbing the high baritone. Such is the case on "Greener Pastures," "All the Love I Had is Gone" and "They Called It A Church." With more austere vocal arrangement, Rigsby sings solo on his self-penned "My Best Pal," and Craft closes the album with his solo Jimmie Skinner ballad, "He Died a Rounder at 21." The band also tears up two Glen Duncan instrumentals, Mountain Parkway and Williamsburg.With their distinctive and professional sound, Rock County continues to bring down the house. They made their mark a few years ago, and now "Rock Solid" will continue to keep them in front of the bluegrass parade. This album gets two thumbs up and a high recommendation from me. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)"