Virginia natives
Jim & Jesse McReynolds began in the late '40s as serious-minded bluegrass players; however, throughout their career (and despite inevitable returns to bluegrass) they have flirted with mainstream country and even rock & roll. That nomadic attitude is well represented on this collection. They did a cover album of
Chuck Berry songs in the late '60s, and one
Berry song, "Johnny B. Goode," shows up here. Meanwhile, the
McReynolds originals on this effort, while not exactly mainstream, do tend to tread near commercial country waters (particularly the heart-worn ballad "Where Do We Go From Here"). Nevertheless, whether meeting the precise expectations of the bluegrass idiom or not, what distinguishes a
Jim & Jesse album is
Jesse's syncopated, crosspicking mandolin style and Jim's unwavering tenor harmony. And the brothers are in fine form here. ~ Erik Hage