Alison Krauss & Union Station – Live – 3 LPs
This is a massive showcase of 25 live songs on a 3-LP set recorded over 2 nights from 2006. Alison Krauss (vocals/fiddle) is one of the most Grammy-awarded artists in history, & one of the few musicians who could pull off such a pristine concert program without taxing the ears of her listeners. But the music & performances are entertaining, skillfully played, well-paced & diversified throughout.
This is more for aficionados & completists since this concert is a document impeccably produced. Fans would appreciate it, but they’re already familiar with many of these songs so it may not be essential. But the investment would be worth it. The program was recorded at The Louisville Palace in Louisville, KY with musicians Barry Bales (bass/vocals), Ron Block (guitar/banjo/vocals), Jerry Douglas (Resonator guitar/vocals), & Dan Tyminski (guitar/mandolin/vocals).
The platinum certified Alison Krauss & Union Station – Live – 3 LPs (Reissue dropped Nov 21/Craft Recordings/Concord) is a fine example of why, after all these years, many non-country & bluegrass fans still enjoy Alison Krauss’ voice & music. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album & the traditional song “Cluck Old Hen” won the award for Best Country Instrumental Performance.
The Illinois-born Ms. Krauss is well beyond merely a polished chanteuse. She begins with a poignant song with all the purity & clarity she’s made her signature with “Let Me Touch You For Awhile.” Then, cruises into a fiery instrumental “Choctaw Hayride,” driven with brilliant trade-offs & interplay between banjo, fiddle, & acoustic guitar that bristles. Is it good? Listen to the audience for confirmation, not me.
From a soul pop song to a classic bluegrass track comes “Baby, Now That I Found You.” Rendered with care, gentleness, & pure creativity. Alison’s voice is special in that every word that floats on a note is caressed by her tone into some sincere realm many great singers struggle for. A song can be sung excellently, but is it sung with authenticity? Do you believe the singer? Alison struck me this way the first time I heard her sing. Stunning, a sound I don’t think singing teachers can accurately teach. “Stay” is a fine example of this individuality, with her personality seeping through her lips.
Alison delivers honesty (“When You Say Nothing At All”) through her set as the show is impeccably planned, performed, & paced. As she does so today. The musicians provide a landscape of sterling instrumentation & their individual solos are highlighted throughout & add to the many hues this 3-LP showcase accommodates. “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” elicits joyous hollers & a clap-along from the responsive Kentucky audience.
Oh, & my favorite, respected jazz drummer Buddy Rich is absolutely wrong when he said on talk shows that country/bluegrass music & its musicians aren’t accomplished in the same sense as jazz. This is impeccably played music, Buddy. Jerry Lee Lewis & Floyd Cramer’s pianos, the guitars of Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, & Roy Clark, among so many others. Even the legendary sax player Charlie Parker thought so, too. Add Alison Krauss’ fiddle to that elite club.
Highlights – “Let Me Touch You For Awhile,” “Choctaw Hayride,” “The Lucky One,” “Baby, Now That I Found You,” “Cluck Old Hen,” “Stay,” “Ghost In This House,” “Faraway Land,” “A Tribute To Peador O’Donnell/Monkey let the Hogs Out,” “Take Me For Longing,” “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow,” “We Hide & Seek,” ”But You Know I Love You,” “When You Say Nothing At All,” & “New Favorite.”
Color image from 2022 Glastonbury courtesy of Raph_PH. Dark portrait image courtesy of Forrest L. Smith III at the 2007 MerleFest. CD @ Bandcamp & https://alisonkrauss.com/
Enjoy some of our previous coverage here: Show Review: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss at Merriweather