Being one who never considered the mandolin a popular instrument, I nearly fell off my chair after seeing the names on a list I discovered as I searched the words "Popular musicians who play mandolin".  I'm talking about members of JETHRO TULL, YES, TRAFFIC, PINK FLOYD, THE EAGLES, TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, THE MOODY BLUES, THE BAND, LED ZEPPELIN, LITTLE FEAT, THE BEATLES, PROCOL HARUM and many other bands that I idolized when I wore a younger man's clothes - no, Billy Joel is not on the list.  But people like MIKE OLDFIELD, STEVE VAN ZANDT, RORY GALLAGHER, RY COODER and DAVID BOWIE are.

 

    The second time I almost fell of the chair was from the shock I was in by not seeing the name of the legendary JAMES "YANK" RACHELL on that list.  That's what I get for searching "popular" and not "blues".  With all due respect to all of the many wonderful people who do play this obviously unpopular style of music on this obviously very popular instrument, when I think a blues mandolin player, I think of the very man this CD is honoring - the late and very great MR. JAMES "YANK" RACHELL. 

 

    "A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY BLUES MANDOLIN MAN" features 16 songs written by YANK, a few others recorded by him and one of his favorite Gospel songs.  I regret that, on those 21 tracks, there are just entirely too many musicians to mention - many of them great mandolin players themselves.

 

    "SHOTGUN BLUES"  is just one of this projects many highlights.  It features another mandolin maestro - RICH DEL GROSSO - also on vocals, ERNIE SCARBROUGH on bass & keyboards and DAVID KITA on drums.  The slug-out between the mandolin and the organ at the end of this one is hot.

 

    A lot of good music is crammed into a short 3 minutes on "SHE CAUGHT THE KATY".  Great rhythm by CRAIG "REDMAN" SMITH and JEROME MILLS on drums and bass, smokin' sax and B3 by CRAIG PETERSON and GUY VREEMAN, and good pickin' by SCOTT BALLENTINE on guitar all provide great support for beautiful vocals by KAREN IRWIN.

 

    The story told by JOHN SEBASTIAN, which leads into "TAPPIN' THAT THING" - featuring him on vocals and guitar and DAVID GRISMAN on mandolin, is as good as any of the songs.  It gets quite humorous as JOHN tells of how he came to do a session with YANK. 

 

    My favorite "BLUESY LITTLE TUNE" on the disc is a song called just that.  This one features great vocals by STANLEY SMITH, also on guitar and some of the discs best mandolin playin' by ROBBIR GJERSOE.  This one also features RYAN GOULD on upright bass, DAVID HAMBURGER on slide guitar and STEPHEN DOSTER on guitar.

 

    "DEPRESSION BLUES" is some real good stuff.....and topical at that.  STEVE BROWN, on vocals, does a great job singing about what a lot of us are currently experiencing.  TIM DUFFY, TIM MESSERSMITH and DAN HOLMES on drums, bass and piano are in a real nice groove behind him, while ALLEN STATYNER hits some very high harp notes with some great blues mandolin by MIKE BUTLER.  This is a hot one.

 

    If you like good old fashioned, down home, front porch pickin' kinda stuff, then "GONNA GET UP IN THE MORNING" will get your foot tappin'.  This instrumental features CURTIS BUCKHANNON on guitar, DAVE LANDRETH on banjo ukulele, JUDITH WALTERS on washboard and LESLIE J. LEWIS on National guitar.  This one's a real foot stomper.

 

    Listening to SHEENA RACHELL sing this one, it's quite clear she's got a real bad case of "LAKE MICHIGAN BLUES".  Providing a very soothing rhythm behind her soulful vocals are CRAIG "REDMAN" SMITH on drums, AL STONE on bass and GUT VREEMAN on Hammond B3.  Meanwhile, the soft yet sharp blue licks are being swapped between JIM LYNCH on the slide guitar and MIKE BUTLER-SCHWAB on electric 5 string slide mandolin.   

 

    The disc closes out with YANKS favorite Gospel song, "FREEDOM".  It was recorded, in A Cappella, by his two daughters - MAY NELL RACHELL, on lead vocals & WILLIA B. RACHELL, on backing alto vocals, and his granddaughter - SHEENA RACHEL, on backing soprano vocals.  It may be only 69 seconds long, but that's long enough to hear some absolutely beautiful harmony.      

 

    Other tracks on "A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY BLUES MANDOLIN MAN" include: "TEXAS TONY", "MOONSHINE WHISKEY", "MY BABY'S GONE", "SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD", "DIVIN' DUCK", "DEEP ELAM BLUES", "MY MIND GOT BAD", "LET ME TANGLE IN YOUR POTATO VINES", "BROWNSVILLE BLUES", "SEEMS LIKE A DREAM", "WADIE GREEN", and "CIGARETTE BLUES".

 

    Regardless of your blues taste, I honestly believe this disc belongs in any collection.  At Amazon.com the disc is only $8.99.  Get outta here right now and go buy one.  Proceeds from the disc go directly to the YANK RACHELL family.  And remember, ya heard it from the Blewzzman.